Nikki Bhati, the 26-year-old woman who was burned alive by her husband and in-laws, was killed in a meticulously coordinated and staged murder, according to a Khansa Police team’s 500-page charge sheet. Nikki, who was from Greater Noida’s Sirsa, died on August 21 after sustaining 80 per cent severe burn injuries.
According to the charge sheet, every movement made by her in-laws and husband was staged to make the death look like an accident. The woman was only taken to the hospital by the accused, to make it look like it was a rescue effort, Times of India reported.
The document named Nikki’s husband, Vipin, his mother Daya, father, Satyaveer and elder brother Rohit as co-conspirators. They were booked under BNS sections 103(1) (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy).
The police also said that Vipin deliberately ran outside to show himself on the CCTV camera to make it look like they were trying to save the woman, fully knowing that she would not survive. He also moved to a location where his mobile phone would be away from the scene at the time of the attack.
The family had maintained that Nikki sustained injuries through a cylinder blast. The statement was also corroborated by Nikki while she fought for her life at the hospital. However, police now believe that she made the statement in confusion or under pressure.
The charge sheet stated, "All accused — Vipin, Daya, Satyaveer and Rohit — jointly conspired to eliminate Nikki. They planned to kill her so that no future disputes would arise.” It also said, “The family deliberately planned their movement to create digital alibis and mislead the investigation."
ALSO READ | Nikki Bhati killed due to gas cylinder explosion? Contradictory claims emerge in Noida dowry death case
The complaint filed by Kanchan, her sister, who witnessed the murder, stated that around 5:45 pm on August 21, Nikki was pinned down and had thinner poured over her before she was set on fire. She was taken first to Fortis Hospital and then later moved to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.
Her postmortem report stated that she died due to Hypovolemic shock due to burn injuries. Forensic reports also showed that there were no signs of an LPG gas explosion.
The document states that panchayat members told police that both Nikki and her sisiter Kanchan who was married to Rohit often had disputes with the in-laws for filming Instagram video and running a beauty parlour. Her online presence and independance were often the cause of tension.
A Crime and Tracking Network System (CTNS) report, also part of the charge sheet, shows multiple previous cases filed against Vipin who had a history of aggressive behaviour. Prosecution lawyers Udham Singh Tongad and Dinesh Kumar Kalson said they would oppose bail and push for maximum punishment for the accused.
