The investigation into the horrific dowry murder of 26-year-old Nikki Bhati in Greater Noida has seen significant developments, with all accused now in police custody. The case, which involves allegations of torture and murder over dowry demands, has sparked public outrage and drawn widespread attention.
Nikki Bhati was allegedly assaulted and set ablaze by her husband, Vipin Bhati, and his family at their residence in Sirsa village. The incident occurred on Thursday night, August 21, 2025. Nikki succumbed to her injuries while being taken to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital.
The sequence of arrests began with Vipin Bhati, who was apprehended on Saturday. While in custody, he allegedly attempted to escape, leading to a police encounter on Sunday. According to police reports, Vipin tried to snatch a pistol from a sub-inspector and opened fire, prompting police to retaliate, resulting in Vipin sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg. He is currently in the hospital under police guard. In a shocking statement made from his hospital bed, Vipin showed "no remorse" and claimed he did not kill his wife, stating she "died on her own" and that fights between husband and wife are common.
Following Vipin's arrest, his mother, Daya Bhati, was also taken into custody. The Kasna Police arrested Nikki's father-in-law, Satveer Bhati (55), and brother-in-law, Rohit Bhati (28), near Sirsa Toll Chauraha on Monday, August 25, 2025. The arrests were made based on a tip-off and manual intelligence inputs. With these arrests, all four accused are now behind bars.
The victim's family has alleged that Nikki faced years of torture and escalating dowry demands since her marriage in 2016. They stated that they had already given a Scorpio SUV, a motorcycle, and gold jewelry to her in-laws, but the demands later increased to Rs 36 lakh in cash and even a luxury car. Nikki's father, Bhikhari Singh Payla, said that he helped his daughter open her own beauty parlor because "Vipin had no work" and that Vipin and his family kept asking for money. He has called the accused "butchers" and demanded justice, stating "They don't deserve to live. I want an encounter".
Disturbing videos related to the case have surfaced online. One video purportedly shows a man and woman dragging Nikki by her hair and assaulting her. Another video shows Nikki, severely burnt, walking down the stairs. Nikki's sister, Kanchan, who is married into the same family, recorded parts of the incident on her phone. She alleged that the assault was linked to a dowry demand of Rs 3.6 million. Kanchan's complaint led to the FIR against all four accused. She recounted the horrific events, stating that Nikki was beaten, tortured, and ultimately set on fire after being doused with a flammable substance. She also mentioned that her children witnessed the crime.
The case is registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Indian Penal Code) pertaining to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, and attempt to commit offenses punishable with life imprisonment. The investigation is ongoing.
