After Husband and Mother, Brother-in-Law Arrested in Nikki Bhati Blaze Case

Greater Noida: Greater Noida witnessed a chilling dowry murder after 28-year-old Nikki Bhati was set ablaze by her husband, sparking widespread outrage. On Monday, August 25, police confirmed the arrest of Nikki’s brother-in-law, making him the third family member taken into custody in connection with the case.

According to officials, the accused husband, Vipin Bhati, was arrested on Saturday, August 23, followed by his mother Daya Bhati on Sunday, August 24. With the brother-in-law now in custody, the father-in-law remains absconding. All four were named in the FIR filed on the complaint of Nikki’s elder sister, Kanchan.

Police further revealed that Vipin had tried to escape custody on Sunday but was shot in the leg during an encounter. He had earlier appeared in viral videos brutally assaulting his wife. Hours before the incident, Vipin had posted emotional messages on Instagram, writing: “Why did you leave me? The world is calling me a killer, Nikki.”

The crime took place in the Sirsa area of Greater Noida, where Nikki was allegedly beaten before being set on fire. The couple’s young son, who witnessed the ordeal, told reporters: “They first put something on mumma. Then they slapped her before setting her on fire using a lighter.”

Nikki’s sister, Kanchan, also stated she was assaulted the same night. “They asked us to get Rs 36 lakh from our home. They told me, ‘We have got dowry for one, what about the other?’” she alleged, adding that both sisters—married into the same family—had faced dowry harassment since Nikki’s marriage in 2016.

Severely injured, Nikki was rushed to Fortis Hospital by neighbours and later referred to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, but she died on the way on Thursday. Following her death, angry locals staged protests outside Kasna Police Station, carrying placards demanding “Justice for Nikki.”