How Did Nikki Bhati Die? Twists And Turns Riddle Noida Dowry Case

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Noida dowry case: The investigation into the suspected dowry death of Nikki Bhati, in which her husband Vipin Bhati is the prime accused, has taken a new turn after the recovery of an inflammable substance from her room and the emergence of fresh video clips, leading police to revisit the timeline of the August 21 incident, a senior officer told PTI on Wednesday.

Earlier, Nikki Bhati's sister Kanchan, who is also married into the same family, and her parents accused her husband and in-laws of burning her alive over not fulfilling their dowry demands. Videos shared by Kanchan allegedly capture Vipin Bhati assaulting Nikki, while another disturbing clip shows her stumbling down the stairs engulfed in flames.

Now, there are also reports that Nikki Bhati may have suffered burn injuries in a cylinder blast. There are also reports that Nikki and Vipin used to fight over the victim's Instagram presence.

Here are 5 fresh angles in the Noida dowry case:

1. Multiple videos and CCTV camera recordings : Police are collating and examining multiple short video clips, which are surfacing in the public domain in connection with the August 21 incident. Fresh videos, including one showing the mother-in-law appearing to separate Nikki and Vipin during a fight, and another reportedly filmed by Kanchan in which a voice could be heard saying, 'Yeh kya kar liya' (what have you done), have surfaced after initial questioning, PTI reported.

Meanwhile, the police are analysing CCTV camera footage showing Vipin standing outside his home minutes before the incident. The CCTV footage timestamp shows Vipin standing outside a grocery store near his home at 5:42 PM, wearing a blue check shirt.

Around 5:47 PM, a commotion breaks out, and Vipin is seen running toward the house, according to a report by the Times of India. A senior officer said the timing of the footage and that of the videos shared by Nikki's family need to be matched.“We will cross-check a few things, especially the time span. We are anyway verifying the contents of the footage and the video handed over to us by Kanchan as the main evidence. Footage from the hospital where Nikki was taken initially needs to be examined, too,” he told TOI.

Also Read: Why did Vipin Bhati kill Nikki, burn her alive? Here's what probe revealed in Greater Noida dowry murder case

2. Inflammable substance: An officer, who is part of the probe, told PTI that the inflammable solution found in Nikki's room has been sent for forensic analysis. The new findings seem to mark a shift from earlier allegations that Nikki (26) was set on fire with a flammable liquid by her husband, Vipin Bhati, and his family. It is under investigation.

3. Re-examination of Kanchan's statement: Police will also re-examine the statement of Nikki's sister, Kanchan, who reportedly shot a video of the alleged incident, lodged the FIR and claimed to have tried to intervene in the matter, PTI reported. Kanchan is married to Nikki's brother-in-law, Rohit Bhati.

Vipin, Rohit, Nikki's father-in-law, Satyavir and mother-in-law Daya have been arrested for the alleged dowry murder in Greater Noida last Thursday. Kanchan has alleged in her FIR that Nikki was set ablaze by Vipin, his mother Daya, father Satveer, and brother Rohit after being beaten, according to the PTI report.

She alleged that Nikki faced persistent dowry harassment despite their 2016 marriage being solemnised "without dowry”, claiming that her family already gave a Scorpio SUV, a motorcycle and jewellery to the Bhati family, yet they were being pressured to shell out another ₹36 lakh and a luxury car.

Also Read: Greater Noida dowry death: Four days after murder, old videos of victim Nikki driving Mercedes surfaces online

4. Nikki Bhati's Instagram reels a reason? Neighbours of the couple have claimed that Vipin Bhati often objected to the Instagram makeover reels posted by his wife, Nikki Bhati. According to them, the videos became a frequent source of tension between the couple, adding to the disputes that have now come under scrutiny as Nikki's family demands strict punishment for Vipin for allegedly“killing” Nikki over dowry.

The residents of Sirsa village said that both sisters were active on Instagram, posting makeover reels that their husbands Vipin and Rohit Bhati objected to.

“They both used to make reels related to the makeover and share it on social media. But both Rohit and Vipin did not like it and used to object,” a neighbour was quoted as saying by PTI.

"In the panchayat, it was decided that both the sisters would not make reels in future. It remained for some days, but again they began making reels and that was responsible for the tension in between them," another neighbour added.

5. Separate assault case against Vipin: In 2024, despite being married, Vipin Bhati was allegedly caught with another woman, leading to serious legal trouble, according to a report by the Times of India. In an apparent attempt to prove his innocence, he allegedly assaulted the woman, who later filed an FIR against him at Jarcha Police Station in Greater Noida in October 2024.

The FIR against the Bhatis was filed at the 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 (BNS).

(With inputs from agencies, Times of India)

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