Nine months after the death of Nikki Bhatti, a 28-year-old resident of Noida in Uttar Pradesh state, shocked the country, the case has taken a series of dramatic turns – from a family settlement and a key witness, the victim’s sister, to a hostile turn to conflicting claims about who was present at the scene.
Nikki Bhatti succumbed to serious injuries at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on August 21 last year, after her husband Vipin Bhatti and his mother Daya Bhatti poured a flammable liquid on her and set her on fire at their home in Greater Noida, according to a police complaint filed by Nikki’s sister, Kanchan.
Disturbing videos have also emerged showing tense moments before Nikki Bhatti burst into flames after the incident, sparking public outrage and calls for justice.
Now, nine months after Nikki Bhatti’s death, her family has reportedly reached a settlement with the accused in-laws in the dowry death case, while her sister, who was earlier a key witness, has turned hostile and retracted her earlier allegations.
Here are five key developments in the case:
1. Nikki’s family reaches a settlement with his in-laws
In the biggest development yet, Nikki’s family has reached a settlement with the in-laws accused in the dowry death case. Nikki’s father, Bikari Singh, confirmed the settlement on Wednesday and said the accused family had agreed to transfer the property to Nikki’s son, HT reported earlier.
The previous report quoted the father as saying, “Yes, we have reached a settlement. They have transferred the property to Nikki’s son.”
2. The main witness Kanchan turns aggressive
The latest development comes after Nikki’s sister, Kanchan – who is considered the key witness in the murder case – became aggressive before a local court in Noida about 20 days ago, the Uttar Pradesh government’s lawyer said. The next hearing is scheduled for June 10.
Kanchan was initially central to the investigation. In her complaint to the police, she alleged that Nikki’s husband Vipin Bhatti and mother-in-law Daya Bhatti set Nikki on fire while her husband Rohit Bhatti and father-in-law Satvir were looking on. She also claimed that she was beaten when she tried to intervene.
However, in her final statement before the court, Kanchan reportedly changed her story.
“Kanchan informed the court that there was no one inside the house when the incident happened. Nikki’s husband, Vipin, father-in-law, mother-in-law and sister-in-law were outside. So far, only her statement has been recorded,” the lawyer, who requested anonymity, was quoted as saying.
3. Ensuring “non-interference” in Kanchan’s marital life
Another important development in the case relates to Kanchan’s future with the same family she once accused in court documents. Kanchan, who was living with her parents in Roopvas village after the incident, is now set to move in with her husband in a new house in Dadri, according to Nikki’s father.
“There will be no interference from her in-laws in Kanchan’s marital life,” Singh said.
5. The lawyer says that the case is weak; The defense is preparing for a new bail move
The changing data in court has now affected the prosecution’s position in the case.
The government lawyer added: “We will continue to fight the case, but when the main victim becomes hostile, it weakens the case.”
Meanwhile, Vipin’s lawyer Amit Bhatti confirmed that Kanchan had recorded her statement before the court and said that the defense would seek bail soon.
“We are fighting the case on merits. Based on the evidence, we will file a bail application for Vipin in the Supreme Court within a week,” he said.
So far, Rohit has been released on bail on January 7 this year, followed by Satveer on January 28 and Daya on February 13. Vipin is still detained in Loksar jail.
5. Failure to inform the police of the settlement
A police officer involved in the investigation also said that the police had not been informed of the settlement between the two families.
The officer, who requested to remain anonymous, said: “They (Nikki’s family) did not submit anything in writing to the police regarding the settlement they reached. We have filed an indictment based on their allegations, and now the case is between the court and the families.”
Noida Police filed an FIR on August 22 and said investigations revealed that Vipin and his in-laws were against Nikki’s plan to reopen a salon she was running. They were reportedly angered by her social media activity, especially on Instagram, which she used to promote the salon.
The police registered a case under Sections 103 (murder), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Vipin, Rohit, Satveer and Daya at Kasna police station.
Vipin was arrested after a gun battle on August 24 while his mother was arrested on the same evening. Satveer and Rohit were taken into custody the next day. Investigators later filed a 173-page indictment charging the four with murder.
However, the chargesheet also stated that after scanning CCTV footage, investigators found that father-in-law Satveer and mother-in-law Daya were not at home when the incident occurred. Police also found the location of Rohit’s mobile phone near Sirsa toll plaza.
