Dowry murder case: Nikki Bhati’s husband injured in police encounter, investigation widens

New Delhi, Aug 24: Vipin Bhati, accused of murdering his wife Nikki by assaulting and setting her ablaze at their in-laws’ home, was injured in a police encounter on Sunday. According to police, Vipin attempted to escape from custody after his arrest in the dowry murder case. Officers opened fire when he tried to flee, hitting him in the leg. He has been shifted to hospital under tight security police officials told ANI

Vipin was arrested following the killing of his wife. Nikki, married to him in 2016, was the mother of a six-year-old boy.

Her elder sister, Kanchan, is also married into the same family to Vipin’s brother Rohit. On Thursday night, Nikki was allegedly beaten and set ablaze by her husband and in-laws after years of dowry-related harassment. She sustained critical burns and died while being shifted from Fortis Hospital to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, The Times of India (TOI) reported.

In her complaint, Nikki’s sister Kanchan alleged that despite giving a Scorpio SUV and valuables at the time of marriage, the in-laws continued to demand ₹36 lakh. She said both sisters were subjected to repeated violence, some of which she recorded on video including harrowing visuals of Nikki being dragged by her hair, TOI reported. Police confirmed that Nikki’s son witnessed the attack and later narrated the sequence of events to investigators. Vipin’s parents, Daya and Satveer, along with his brother Rohit, remain absconding. A case of murder has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and dowry-related charges are being considered. Multiple police teams have been formed to track down the absconding family members. The post-mortem has been completed, and Nikki’s last rites performed. The case has sparked renewed outrage over dowry violence and alleged failure of local interventions despite repeated complaints, TOI reported.