'I Did Not Kill Her': Husband Accused in Greater Noida Dowry Case Shot in Leg During Encounter

Greater Noida: In a major turn of events in the Greater Noida Dowry case, the accused Vipin Bhati was shot in the leg during an encounter with the police and later was admitted to a hospital in Greater Noida.

Vipin Bhati, along with his mother, was accused of burning his wife Nikki alive using petrol over dowry claims. Married in 2016, Nikki, a resident of Dadri’s Rupbas, had long faced harassment, with her husband, Vipin Bhati, allegedly addicted to alcohol and involved in an extramarital affair. 

Enraged family members held a protest outside the Kasna Police Station, demanding strict action, following which police promptly registered a case and formed several teams. 

Her sister Kanchan claimed that despite being married for eight years and her family already giving a Scorpio car and other valuables, the in-laws continued to demand Rs 36 lakh in dowry. Both sisters, Nikki and Kanchan, were married into the same family in 2016, Nikki to Vipin Bhati and Kanchan to his brother, Rohit Bhati.  

She also told the police that they used to beat her regularly, and when she tried to stop them, they beat her too, even in front of the children. On the day of the incident, Vipin allegedly hit both sisters, struck Nikki on the neck, and then poured petrol on her before setting her on fire.

However, according to the ANI report, accused Vipin Bhati completely denied killing his wife Nikki says, “I did not kill her. She died on her own,” and when asked about the allegations of assault and torture, he dismissed them as a "common fight between husband and wife."

Meanwhile, Nikki's father said that their in-laws had been harassing her for dowry and that her mother-in-law poured kerosene on her, while Bhati set her ablaze. “They kept asking for dowry, now their demands have been met because my daughter has died. They demanded a car and tortured her for that,” he said.

Further, he claimed that the family had once taken Nikki back home due to constant domestic violence, but societal pressure forced them to return her after assurances from her in-laws. “That person is neither man nor human; he is a butcher. We trusted their promise, but it continued. Now they have got what they wanted,” he said.

The victim’s father also recounted the tragic events, stating that Nikki suffered nearly 70 percent burns. She was first rushed to Fortis Hospital before being referred to Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, where she succumbed to her injuries on her way. “These monsters didn’t think twice before setting someone’s daughter on fire. They should be hanged. Even my grandson has told everyone how it happened,” he added.

‘Papa Killed Mummy’: Son Recalls Mother's Brutal Death

In a heart-wrenching statement earlier, Nikki’s six-year-old son told the media: “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 using a lighter). The child’s emotional statement has strengthened the case against the woman’s husband and in-laws, as he revealed that he saw his father and grandmother set his mother on fire.

Two disturbing videos of the incident have surfaced on the internet. In one video, Nikki is seen being dragged by her hair and assaulted by her husband and mother-in-law. In another, she is seen limping down the stairs, badly burned, moments before she died, captured by her sister Kanchan.

ALSO READ: ‘Slapped Her, Then Set Her on Fire’: Noida Woman Tortured, Burnt Alive Over Dowry Demand; Husband Arrested, Family On Run