Nikki, a resident of Sirsa village, died of 80 percent burn injuries after being set ablaze inside her matrimonial home on August 21.
Her husband Vipin, mother-in-law Daya, father-in-law Satyaveer and brother-in-law Rohit have been charged under Sections 103(1) (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
According to Nikki’s sister Kanchan, who filed the FIR, the attack occurred around 5.45 pm on August 21 when Nikki was allegedly restrained while an inflammable thinner was poured over her and set alight. The family then rushed her to Fortis Hospital, Greater Noida, before she was referred to Safdarjung Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. Police say the hospital trip was not an attempt to save her but a calculated act to create the appearance of a rescue.
From the beginning, the family claimed Nikki was injured in a cylinder blast. This version was also recorded in Nikki’s own statement to the Fortis doctor.
Investigators, however, believe the dying woman may have repeated what she was told or was disoriented due to extreme trauma. The charge sheet notes that the post-mortem confirmed death due to hypovolemic shock caused by extensive burns and that forensic examination found no trace of any explosion. The RFSL report stated there was “no indicator” of an accidental fire, contradicting the family’s claim.
Police allege the murder was a joint conspiracy to eliminate Nikki and prevent future domestic disputes. Vipin, arrested the day after the incident, is said to have admitted that he poured thinner on his wife and set her ablaze using a lighter allegedly handed to him by his mother. On August 24, he took investigators to a green belt near Dixon Company, where they recovered the discarded thinner bottle, which now serves as a key forensic exhibit.
The charge sheet includes chemical and toxicology reports from RFSL Ghaziabad, analysis of burnt clothing and material from the scene, and the recovered lighter. Call detail records, location data, and CCTV footage from Fortis Hospital and routes leading to Sirsa show what police describe as a carefully crafted digital alibi. Investigators state Vipin deliberately positioned himself near CCTV cameras and manipulated his phone’s location to appear away from the crime scene at the time of the attack. The report accuses the entire family of staging movements “to mislead the investigation.”
A crucial piece of testimony comes from the couple’s six-year-old son, who is listed as an eyewitness. He reportedly told police that he saw Vipin beat his mother and then set her on fire before fleeing through a neighbour’s terrace.
After Vipin’s arrest, police had detained Daya and Rohit on the same day from two different locations. Satyaveer was arrested on August 25. Statements from neighbours, panchayat leaders, hospital staff and CCTV operators support the prosecution’s case.
The charge sheet also recounts that Nikki and her sister Kanchan, both social media influencers who ran a beauty parlour together, had frequent clashes with the family.
Panchayat members told police that both women had left their homes after a dispute and returned only after community intervention. Investigators cite “recurring tensions” over Nikki’s independence and online presence as a contributing factor.
A CTNS report included in the case file shows that Vipin has multiple previous cases registered against him, indicating a history of violent behaviour, according to the police.
Notably, on September 11, the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Noida had rejected the bail pleas of Nikki Bhati’s husband Vipin Bhati, his brother Rohit, and parents Daya and Satveer, who were arrested following allegations of dowry harassment and murder. It had emphasized the gravity of the charges and concluded that the accused were not entitled to relief at this stage.