Nikki dowry murder case: Son traumatised by mother set ablaze alive, says woman's father

Greater Noida dowry case

Father of Greater Noida dowry murder victim Nikki has spoken about how his grandson has been traumatised by the incident. Speaking to NDTV Bhikari Singh Payla, said that his daughter's son has been crying and repeating, “They burnt my mother.”

The seven-year-old son of the Greater Noida woman had said that he saw something being poured on his mother before being set ablaze with a lighter.

The seven-year-old son of the victim, set on fire by her husband Vipin Bhati and in-laws in an alleged dowry murder case, is traumatised witnessing his burning mother burnt alive.

His mother, 28-year-old Nikki Bhati, was killed for a demand of Rs 36 lakh dowry by her husband and in-laws, nine years into the the marriage with Vipin Bhati in Greater Noida.

"I will bring him up as well as I can. He cries every evening thinking of his mother. He keeps saying, 'They burnt my mother.' We try to comfort him,” Nikki's father Payla has been quoted as sayig.

The police have so far made four arrests: Nikki’s husband, Vipin Bhati; brother-in-law, Rohit Bhati; and both parents-in-law, Daya and Satyavir Bhati and are probing the case further.

Vipin Bhati, who is accused of murdering his wife, was shot in the leg by the police on Sunday and was later admitted to the hospital. He was sent to a 14-day judicial custody.

The father of the deceased woman, Nikki Bhati, alleged that the in-laws harassed his daughter for money, even troubling her when she tried to run a parlour. He has demanded strict action against the accused.

He father said that she had been tortured since her marriage in 2016 by them for a dowry demand of Rs 36 lakh, even after they had fulfilled their demand for Scorpio vehicle and a motorcycle.

Disturbing videos of the incident and testimonies of Nikki's son and sister surfaced on social media on how the accused husband, Vipin Bhati and another woman assaulted the victim and dragged her by the hair. Another clip showed Nikki, severely burnt, walking down a staircase before collapsing. She had succumbed to burns while being taken to a hospital Thursday night.

Vipin Bhati, who was arrested on Saturday, was being escorted by the police to recover evidence around 1.30 pm when he tried to flee, according to the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police PRO.

"He was chased and apprehended after being shot in the leg," the officer said.

The accused husband's mother, identified as Daya (55) and wife of Satyaveer, has also been arrested. She had been absconding since the incident and has been named in the FIR filed by the victim's family, the PRO said.

The FIR was lodged on Friday under BNS sections 103(1) (murder), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 61 (2) (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or others) at Kasna Police Station in Greater Noida. The case was registered on 22 August, the police said.

Sudhir Kumar, ADCP, Greater Noida, said, "Vipin Bhati was being escorted to recover the used flammable content bottle from the site in Greater Noida, meanwhile he snatched the gun of the Sub Inspector and tried to flee. He also opened fire on the police team and in self defence police shot in his leg. He was sent for treatment to the hospital."

The victim's father Bhikahri Singh said his daughters Kanchan (29) and Nikki (26) were married to brothers Rohit Bhati and Vipin Bhati, respectively, in 2016.

He claimed that many times a panchayat was organised to settle the dispute, but all the efforts were wasted. "I want strict action against the family and an encounter should be done. This is Baba's (Yogi Adityanath) government, their house should also be bulldozed. If not we will sit on hunger strike," he demanded.

The mother of the victim has also demanded strict action against the entire family of Vipin, because they had killed her daughter for dowry.

An Instagram ID, having profile picture of the accused husband, showed a purported post of Vipin Bhati in which he said, "Mujhe toh bata deti, ak baar, kya hua tha, mujhe chhod kyun chali gayi tuu (you should have told me once, what had happened. Why did you leave me?)" "Aisa kyun kiya, duniya hatyara bol rahi hai Nikki? (Why did you do this? The world is calling me a killer Nikki)" Vipin Bhati said.

Nikki's elder sister, Kanchan recorded a video of the attack and accused Vipin Bhati and his family members of killing her sister for dowry. "We were beaten and tortured for days. They were demanding Rs 36 lakh. They hit her on the neck and head, threw acid, and set her on fire in front of her child," Kanchan told reporters.

The sister said that she, too, was assaulted when she tried to intervene.

The victim's son (aged around six), who witnessed the horrifying incident, said,“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 set her ablaze using a lighter)." Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sudhir Kumar had on Friday said that police got a call from Fortis Hospital informing them that a woman with burn injuries had been admitted and was referred to Safdarjung Hospital.

Nikki married Vipin in 2016 and the couple has a son.