The death of 26-year-old Nikki Bhati in Greater Noida has taken a complicated turn, with conflicting claims emerging over the circumstances leading to her fatal burns. Nikki’s husband, Vipin, has been named as the prime accused and charged with murder. However, while her family insists she was set ablaze by him, his cousin Devendra has claimed the tragedy was the result of a kitchen cylinder blast.
According to The Times of India, Devendra said that Nikki “suffered burns from a cylinder blast in the kitchen” and that, along with his uncle and aunt Daya and Satveer, he helped rush her to hospital. He added, “I heard Vipin shouting about rushing Nikki to hospital. Everyone was shouting about Nikki being injured in a fire. If you see the footage, you’ll see me walking out of my shop in shorts after Vipin. I downed the shutters and drove the car. Along with uncle and aunty, I took Nikki to hospital. She told us there was a cylinder blast inside the house and kept asking for water all the way to the hospital as she couldn’t breathe. We took her to Fortis Hospital, where she also told the doctor about a cylinder blast.”
The CCTV footage that surfaced on Monday has further complicated the timeline. The clip, recorded at a grocery store opposite the Bhati residence in Sirsa village, allegedly shows Vipin , wearing a check shirt and blue trousers standing near a white car parked on the main road outside the house at 5.42 pm. A boy joins him, apparently holding a rope that he tugs several times. The man lingers, glancing down the road and chatting with two or three boys who move between the lane and the main road.
A boy joins him, apparently holding a rope that he tugs several times. The man lingers, glancing down the road and chatting with two or three boys who move between the lane and the main road.
At 5.47 pm, a commotion breaks out, the man in the check shirt sprints towards the house, followed closely by an older man who also rushes inside. Moments later, the younger man emerges again, gesturing to bystanders who gather. He is seen talking to a man in shorts as the crowd swells. At 5.48 pm, the man gets into the white car, briefly steps out, and then reverses the vehicle into the lane as more people converge on the scene.
Nikki’s sister Kanchan, however, has alleged that her sibling was deliberately set on fire by Vipin. She recorded and posted several videos, which have become central to the case. In one clip, Vipin is seen “dragging Nikki by the hair and taunting her to make a video.” Another video shows Nikki staggering down the stairs with her torso on fire, while a third records her sitting on the floor with severe burns. Kanchan claimed, “My mother-in-law gave a bottle of kerosene to Vipin and he poured it over Nikki. When I protested, I was beaten up as well. My husband and father-in-law were present there, but they did not intervene. After she was set on fire, I took my sister to Fortis Hospital in Greater Noida with the help of a neighbour. From there, she was referred to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, but couldn’t make it.”
Vipin’s relatives have disputed the authenticity of the clips, alleging the footage is old. “These videos are being edited and misrepresented,” a family member told The Times of India.
Police confirmed they are considering multiple possibilities, including murder, dowry harassment, domestic violence, and even suicide. Sudhir Kumar, additional DCP Greater Noida, told The Times of India, “The accused — the husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law — have all been arrested. A probe is under way. Every piece of evidence, including the videos posted online and the CCTV footage, is being examined.”
"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 to initially needs to be examined too," police officer has been quoted.
Nikki’s personal life had also been strained, with investigators learning she and Kanchan had started a beauty parlour at home that faced opposition from the family. The situation worsened last year after Nikki reportedly discovered Vipin’s affair with another woman, who later lodged a complaint of abuse against him. Police sources told The Times of India that just minutes before the fire, “the couple had a heated argument… during which Vipin allegedly slapped Nikki several times.”
Vipin, who was shot in the leg by police after allegedly trying to escape while being taken to the crime scene, has denied wrongdoing. In a video from hospital cited by The Times of India, he said, “I have no regrets because I didn’t kill her.”
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
