'Gas cylinder blast burnt me': Noida dowry victim's dying declaration
What's the story
In a shocking turn of events, 26-year-old Nikki Bhati reportedly claimed that her burn injuries were caused by a cylinder blast. The revelation was made in her dying declaration to doctors at Fortis Hospital, Greater Noida, where she was admitted. This contradicts earlier allegations that her husband Vipin Bhati and his family set her on fire over dowry demands on August 21 in Greater Noida.
Family statement
Hospital memo states gas cylinder blast burnt Nikki
Nikki was later shifted to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, where she died. Her postmortem report confirmed that she had suffered 80% burns. "Ghar par gas cylinder fatne se mareej ko kaafi gambheer roop se jal gaya hai" (The patient has suffered severe burn injuries due to a gas cylinder explosion at home)," a memo from the hospital read. Devendra, a relative, brought Nikki to the hospital. Her brother-in-law, mother-in-law and father-in-law were seen in the car's backseat in the hospital's CCTV.
Arrests and incident details
Vipin shot in leg while trying to escape police custody
However, an FIR filed by her sister Kanchan alleges that Nikki was set on fire by her in-laws over dowry demands. Vipin, his parents Satveer and Daya, and his brother Rohit have been arrested in connection with the case. On Sunday, Vipin was shot in the leg while allegedly trying to escape police custody. Kanchan also alleged that despite giving an SUV and other valuables at marriage, Nikki's in-laws kept demanding more dowry.
Abuse allegations
Victim's family also accused of dowry harassment
In another shocking twist, Nikki's sister-in-law Minakshi, the estranged wife of her brother Rohit Payla, claimed that her in-laws had also harassed her for dowry. Minakshi, who married Rohit in 2016, alleged that her family had given a Maruti Suzuki Ciaz as a dowry, but it was later sold by her in-laws for being "inauspicious." The Paylas allegedly demanded a new Scorpio SUV and cash. When they refused, she claimed that her in-laws sent her back to her parents' house.