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As outrage mounted over the alleged killing of Nikki for dowry in Greater Noida, police arrested her mother-in-law while her husband was shot in leg as he attempted to flee.
Greater Noida murder case: Husband shot at in encounter (Photo: X/ @GreaterNoidaW)
Greater Noida Dowry Murder: The gruesome murder of a 28-year-old woman by her husband and in-laws over dowry in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida has sent chills down the spine across the nation.
The accused husband, Vipin Bhati, who set his wife, Nikki, ablaze alive and killed her for dowry, has been sent to 14-day judicial custody. He was arrested a day earlier, on Saturday.
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Earlier today, Vipin’s mother, Dayawati (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.
What Happened In Sirsa?
Nikki, the woman who died, had married into a family in Greater Noida’s Sirsa village in 2016. Her elder sister, Kanchan, who is also married in the same family, has said both of them were being tortured for dowry, and their in-laws had asked for Rs 36 lakh.
Kanchan said the torture for dowry began just six months later. Nikki, she said, was thrashed by her in-laws on Thursday night and then set ablaze in front of her son.
Horror In Videos
Videos show Nikki being dragged by her hair by her husband, Vipin, and another woman. Vipin, shirtless, has visible blood on his stomach and back. In other clips, Nikki is seen hobbling down the stairs while on fire, then sitting on the floor with her severe burn injuries clearly visible. In one scene, someone throws water on her, seemingly to help soothe her burns.
As she was being transferred from Fortis Hospital in Noida to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, she succumbed to her injuries on Thursday.
Unfortunately, her young son witnessed the horror when she was tortured and set on fire by his father and his grandmother.
“They first put something on mumma. Then they slapped her before setting her on fire using a lighter,” said the boy, fighting back tears.
The Encounter Row
Earlier today, Vipin, who was arrested on Saturday, attempted to escape police custody when he was being escorted by the police to recover evidence around 1.30 pm, according to the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police PRO.
Officials said that he was trying to escape custody, prompting the police to open fire on his leg.
“We had come here to recover the bottles of inflammable liquid which he threw after using them to set her on fire. We recovered the bottles but around that time, he snatched the Inspector’s pistol and tried to run. When the police surrounded him, he tried to fire on us. In self-defence, the police also fired and the bullet hit his leg. He has been sent to the hospital for treatment. Further investigation is underway… We have recovered bottles of thinner which were used to set the woman on fire,” ADCP Sudhir Kumar told news agency ANI.
Gave Top-End Model Car, Gold, But…
The victim’s family has claimed they had fulfilled all the demands of the husband during the marriage.
While speaking to News18 India, Nikki’s brother, Rohit said that they had gifted a top model of the Scorpio car at the wedding in 2016, along with all the daily-use items.
He said that both of his brother-in-laws (Nikki’s and Kanchan’s husbands) used to torture his sisters on a regular basis for dowry, with the younger one being more cruel. “This had been going on for a long time; their demands were increasing day by day after the marriage,” he said.
The family alleged that the women’s husbands continued to demand more and more day by day. Nine years into their marriage, Vipin and his family tortured Nikki and Kanchan over a Rs 35 lakh dowry demand.
Victim’s Father Demands Death Penalty
Victim’s father, Bhikari Singh Payla, has demanded that the accused husband be hanged to death for committing such a crime.
While speaking to news agency ANI, Payla said that Vipin started harassing and torturing Nikki just a few days after the marriage for dowry.
He also claimed that Nikki did not want him to worry about her, and she tried her best to make the marriage work. Payla said that she even started her own work, but the greedy husband began demanding the money she earned.
Nikki’s father also said that he met all the demands from Nikki’s in-laws, yet they killed his daughter.
“First, they demanded a Scorpio in dowry, which was given. Later, they asked for a Bullet motorcycle, and that too was provided. Yet, they kept torturing my daughter. He (her husband) should be hanged,” he said.
No Remorse, Says Vipin
Meanwhile, Vipin claimed that he did not kill Nikki, the victim, and “she died on her own”. Videos of him brutally assaulting his wife surfaced online, but he said that he has “no remorse“.
“I have no remorse. I haven’t killed her. She died on her own. Husband and wife often have fights; it is very common,” he told news agency ANI.
Interestingly, hours before being arrested, Vipin implied in a social media post that she died by suicide and went on to say that the world was calling him a killer.
“Why didn’t you tell me what had happened? Why did you leave me? Why did you do this? The world is calling me a killer, Nikki,” Vipin wrote on Instagram at around 1 am on Saturday. His social media bio says that he is an advocate.
Women Commission Takes Suo Motu Cognisance
Meanwhile, the National Women Commission (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the gruesome case and has asked the UP Director General of Police (DGP) to provide a detailed action report within three days.
NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written a letter to the top cop and has directed the immediate arrest of all the accused, strict action under the provisions of law, fair and prompt investigation of the case, and ensuring the safety of the victim’s family/witnesses.
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
- Location :
Greater Noida, India, India
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