Salon business, reels: Cops reveal factors behind Noida woman's murder
What's the story
Police have revealed what they think caused the fight that led to Nikki Bhati's husband, Vipin Bhati, setting her on fire in Greater Noida. The confrontation on August 21 stemmed from an argument over her Instagram reels and her desire to reopen a beauty salon she used to run, police said on Sunday after questioning the accused. The couple had been married for around eight-and-a-half years. Nikki was declared dead at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital after suffering severe burn injuries.
Incident details
Argument escalated into violence
"Around 3.30pm, Nikki told Vipin that she and her sister would reopen the parlor. When he refused, Nikki said that no one could stop them from reopening, which Bhati opposed," Kasna station house officer Dharmendra Shukla said. "During interrogation, Vipin told us he had been asking his wife to stop posting on Instagram. He even had a problem with the parlor... The couple fought daily over this until it took such a tragic turn," Shukla added.
Legal proceedings
Accused tried to flee, snatched police pistol
After the incident, Vipin tried to flee but was nabbed by the police. He allegedly snatched a police pistol in a bid to escape and was shot in the leg during retaliatory fire. He has been charged with murder, voluntarily causing hurt, and criminal conspiracy under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections. His mother-in-law, Daya Bhati, father-in-law, Satyavir Bhati, and brother-in-law, Rohit Bhati, have also been booked.
Family allegations
Family invested ₹8 lakh in sisters parlor
Nikki's family alleged that she had returned home several times due to dowry disputes, but they were resolved later. They said they invested around ₹8 lakh in their sisters' beauty parlor, as Vipin and Rohit are unemployed. "The family runs a small grocery shop from their home," said Nikki's brother, Rohit Gurjar. He added that his sisters were independently bearing their children's expenses without asking for money from their husbands.
Online evidence
Multiple videos of couples altercation went viral
After the incident, multiple screenshots of Vipin's social media account went viral. In one post, he mentioned "nothing left" while posting his photo with Nikki. Another post stated that "people are calling him a murderer." Several videos from August 21 also circulated on social media platforms showing the couple's altercation. One video showed Vipin pouring a liquid (a thinner used in parlors) on Nikki, while another showed him brutally assaulting her.
Justice campaign
'Justice for Nikki' campaign launched by family
Nikki's family has launched a campaign under the banner "Justice for Nikki." They demanded accountability from all involved in this tragic incident. "A fight also broke out between Nikki and Vipin around a week before the incident," said Vicky Payla, another of Nikki's brothers. He added that despite previous disputes, they compromised due to social defamation concerns. "Now Kanchan (sister), who has two kids, has returned home," he said. Both the sisters were married to the two accused brothers.