NOIDA: A fresh twist has emerged in the death of 26-year-old Nikki Bhati, whose husband Vipin is the prime accused in her alleged murder. CCTV footage obtained by police appears to show Vipin standing outside their Greater Noida home at the time Nikki was set on fire on August 21.
The video, captured from a grocery shop diagonally opposite the Bhati residence in Sirsa village, shows a man in a check shirt—believed to be Vipin—waiting with his son near a white car around 5.42pm. At 5.47pm, a commotion breaks out and the man is seen sprinting toward the house. Moments later, he re-emerges and helps reverse the car into the lane as a crowd gathers.
This timeline overlaps with videos recorded by Nikki’s sister Kanchan, who alleged Vipin assaulted and set her ablaze. One clip shows Nikki staggering with her torso on fire, while another purportedly captures Vipin dragging her by the hair and mocking her. Vipin’s relatives insist those clips are from “last winter,” not the day of the incident.
Family Versions Clash
Vipin’s cousin Devendra claimed Nikki suffered burns in a kitchen cylinder blast and repeated that account en route to the hospital. He said, “Along with uncle and aunty, we took her to Fortis, where she told doctors it was a cylinder blast.”
Kanchan, however, alleged Nikki was a victim of dowry harassment and domestic violence, accusing Vipin and his family of setting her on fire.
Police Probe
Police have arrested Vipin, his parents Daya and Satveer, and his brother Rohit. Vipin was shot in the leg while allegedly trying to flee custody. Investigators are cross-checking CCTV timestamps with Kanchan’s videos and hospital records to establish sequence.
According to sources, tension in the family escalated after Nikki and Kanchan opened a home-based beauty parlour, which faced opposition. Strains deepened when Nikki discovered Vipin’s affair last year. In the days before her death, the couple were living in separate rooms and not speaking.
“Preliminary evidence suggests dowry harassment and domestic violence, but all possibilities—including suicide—are being probed,” said Sudhir Kumar, additional DCP, Greater Noida.
