Reels, Salon Business, Dowry Demand: Build-Up To UP Woman's Heinous Murder

Six months before she was burnt alive, 28-year-old Nikki Bhati left her in-laws' home in Greater Noida and went to live with her parents in Dadri following an assault by her husband, Vipin. A panchayat meeting was called, where Vipin apologised and promised that he would never hit his wife again. Nikki went back to stay with him, hoping it was over. Only, it was not.

Nikki and her sister Kanchan, who is married to Vipin's brother Rohit, ran a salon. But Vipin and his family did not like this, it is learnt. He was also against her posting reels on Instagram, and this led to regular arguments at home. Vipin and his family had also been demanding more dowry despite Nikki's father gifting him a Scorpio SUV, a Royal Enfield bike, gold, and cash. On Thursday, the argument snowballed into assault and Vipin and his mother, Daya, allegedly set Nikki on fire. She burned alive in front of her seven-year-old son and sister, Kanchan.

In an Instagram reel, Kanchan has now said Nikki tolerated a lot due to social pressures. "She has a seven-year-old son. So she was compromising a lot, hoping that today or tomorrow, everything would be fine. We didn't know this would happen," she said, thanking those who are supporting her and her family after the tragedy.

"I wish the actions being taken now had been taken on February 11 or 12. Then we would not witness this day. But we made a lot of decisions for our social traditions," she said. Kanchan and her children accompanied Nikki when she left her in-laws' home and came to Dadri in February.

Kanchan, who witnessed the heinous murder of her sister, has filed a police complaint and an FIR has been registered. Police have named four accused: Vipin, mother Daya, father Satyavir and brother Rohit. All four have been arrested.

In fact, Vipin attempted to escape police custody yesterday when the cops took him home to recover proof and identify clues at the crime spot. He snatched a cop's pistol and opened fire. When cops retaliated, he was shot in the leg. Speaking to the media at the hospital, he said Nikki "died on his own" and that he "did not do anything". He also said, "All couples fight".