New twist in Greater Noida murder: Sister-in-law accuses Nikki Bhati's family of dowry, torture

THe sensory Greater Noida dispatch caseful of Nikki Bhati has taken a spectacular turn over, with fresh allegations surfacing against her own family. While Nikki Bhati's relatives had accused her husband Vipin and in-laws of torturing her for dowry, Nikki’s sister-in-law Meenakshi, the estranged wife of her brother Rohit, has now come forward and levelled similar charges against Nikki’s father and brother while speaking to the media.Meenakshi, who married Rohit in 2016, alleged she was harassed for dowry by Nikki’s family. She claimed her father had already given a Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and 31 tola gold at the time of her marriage, but they demanded a Scorpio SUV, India Today reported.According to Meenakshi, the harassment was relentless. “Nikki and Kanchan both used to beat me up,” the news outlet quoted her saying. She added that her mother-in-law and Nikki’s father, Bikhari Singh, also targeted her.Meenakshi further accused Rohit of assault and alleged he once fired a shot at her brother. She also claimed she was forced to undergo two abortions, the report further said.On the allegations against Vipin and the family, Meenakshi clarified, “They are not like that at all; they are a very well-off family.”The report added that her brother, Deepak Bhati, lodged an FIR in 2024 in support of her claims.Greater Noida ADCP Sudhir Kumar, however, denied the allegations. Saying, "If they can provide a case number, we will check it in our records. As of now, no such evidence has come to the fore," he told Hindustan Times.Another senior police officer also maintained that “media trial is hampering our investigation".“Instead of revealing such evidence before the media, people can approach the police with facts,” the officer said.Nikki, in her mid-20s, was allegedly set on fire by Vipin and his family in front of her son and sister. Her six-year-old child told police, “Meri mumma ke upar kuch dala, fir unko chanta mara fir lighter se aag laga di (They poured something on my mother, slapped her, and then set her on fire with a lighter).”Meanwhile, relatives of the accused demanded a fair probe. “The question of dowry is being raised. A video is being circulated showing them (Nikki’s family) treating their daughter-in-law badly. She is also a sister and daughter of someone. She should also get justice,” a relative of Vipin told news agency PTI.According to police, Nikki was beaten, doused in a flammable liquid, and set on fire at her Sirsa home. She succumbed to her injuries while being taken to a Delhi hospital. Disturbing videos of her final moments, reportedly filmed by her elder sister Kanchan, have been widely circulated online.Vipin, his parents Satveer and Daya, and brother Rohit have been arrested. Vipin was shot in the leg on Sunday while allegedly trying to escape police custody. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has sought a time-bound probe, strict action against the accused, and security for Nikki's family and witnesses.Her family alleges she was tortured for dowry since her 2016 marriage, though they had given a Scorpio SUV, motorcycle, and jewellery. They claim she was later pressured for ₹36 lakh and a luxury car.The memo from the private hospital where Nikki was first admitted states in Hindi: "Ghar par gas cylinder fatne se mareej ko kaafi gambheer roop se jal gaya hai" (The patient has suffered severe burn injuries due to a gas cylinder explosion at home.)"It adds that Nikki was brought in by Devendra, a relative (bua's son), and was in critical condition.However, Kanchan, according to the FIR, alleged that Nikki was deliberately set ablaze. She complained that she and Nikki were married according to Hindu rituals “without any dowry” and that her sister was attacked by Vipin and his family."My mother-in-law Daya gave Vipin a flammable item, then Vipin poured it on my sister Nikki," Kanchan stated."When I objected, they beat me, and at that moment, my husband Rohit, mother-in-law Daya, and father-in-law Satveer were present," she claimed.Kanchan added, "The incident was at about 5:30 pm on August 21. The condition of my sister was serious, so with the help of a neighbour, I took her to Fortis Hospital, Acchher, Greater Noida. From there, she was referred to Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi."Devendra, Vipin's cousin, said that Vipin and his father were at the shop around 5:45pm. "I saw Vipin, he ran very fast towards home and returned very soon. He told me about the incident," he said."After that I took Nikki to Fortis hospital, along with Vipin's father and mother. In the car, Nikki was only asking for water. She was also saying that she was feeling suffocated," Devendra added, noting that the CCTV footage corroborated Vipin's presence at the shop moments earlier.Meanwhile, Nikki's father, Bhikari Singh, has demanded the harshest punishment for Vipin."Their house should be bulldozed and he should be hanged," Singh said, appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for justice.He also rejected allegations that Nikki's killing was linked to her and her sister's social media activity, claiming, "Vipin's mother used Instagram too, reels are not the reason for the killing of Nikki."About the sisters' beauty parlour, Singh added: "I gave ₹1.5 lakh to my daughters to open a beauty parlour. My daughters were running the parlour and educating their children."The FIR in the case was registered at Kasna police station on August 22 under sections 103(1) (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 61(2) (attempt to commit offences punishable with life imprisonment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Police said all leads, including the hospital memo, FIR statements, and CCTV footage, are being thoroughly examined.