Fourth arrest in Noida dowry murder case; brother-in-law, father-in-law held

The father-in-law and brother-in-law of Nikki Bhati, the 26-year-old woman who was allegedly burnt alive over dowry demands in Greater Noida, have been arrested, police said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Satveer Bhati (55) and Rohit Bhati (28), were arrested by Kasna Police near Sirsa Toll Chauraha following a tip-off and manual intelligence inputs, the police said in a statement.

An official told PTI that both the arrests were made separately with some time difference between the two.

Nikki's husband Vipin Bhati, brother Rohit, mother and father are among those mentioned as accused in the FIR. All four have been arrested.

A case had been registered against the four at Kasna Police Station on August 22 under sections 103(1) (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 61(2) (attempting to commit offences punishable with life imprisonment or others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Police said Rohit had been absconding since the incident that sparked outrage across the region.

Nikki was allegedly beaten and then set on fire by her husband Vipin Bhati and in-laws at their home in Sirsa village, Greater Noida, on Thursday night.

Disturbing videos of the assault, recorded by Nikki's elder sister Kanchan, who is married into the same family, circulated widely on social media. One clip showed Nikki being dragged by her hair, while another showed her walking down the stairs in flames before collapsing.

Vipin Bhati was arrested on Saturday and later shot in the leg during an alleged attempt to escape police custody on Sunday. His mother, Daya (55), was also arrested the same day. Police said Vipin had snatched a sub-inspector's gun and fired at officers while being escorted to recover evidence, prompting police to retaliate.

The case has drawn widespread attention as Nikki's family alleged she faced years of torture and escalating dowry demands since her marriage in 2016. They said they had already given a Scorpio SUV, a motorcycle, and gold jewellery to her in-laws, but the demands later increased to Rs 36 lakh in cash and even a luxury car.

Her elder sister Kanchan, who is married in the same family and witnessed the incident, told reporters that Nikki was assaulted in front of her minor son. She also told police that Nikki was allegedly doused with a flammable liquid and set on fire.

Nikki succumbed to her injuries while being taken to a hospital in Delhi, according to police.

The victim's father Bhikahri Singh had said his daughters Kanchan and Nikki were married to brothers Rohit Bhati and Vipin Bhati, respectively, in 2016.

"Since then they have been torturing both the daughters and demanded dowry," he had alleged.