Noida, Aug 24 (PTI) As outrage mounted over the alleged killing of 26-year-old woman for dowry in Greater Noida, police on Sunday arrested her mother-in-law while her husband was shot in leg as he attempted to flee custody.
The family of the victim, Nikki, who was allegedly set ablaze by her husband and in-laws, claimed that she had been tortured since her marriage in 2016 by them for a dowry demand of Rs 36 lakh, even after they had fulfilled their demand for Scorpio vehicle and a motorcycle.
Disturbing videos of the incident and testimonies of Nikki’s son and sister surfaced on social media on how the accused husband, Vipin Bhati and another woman assaulted the victim and dragged her by the hair. Another clip showed Nikki, severely burnt, walking down a staircase before collapsing. She had succumbed to burns while being taken to a hospital Thursday night.
Vipin Bhati, who was arrested on Saturday, was being escorted by the police to recover evidence around 1.30 pm when he tried to flee, according to the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police PRO.
“He was chased and apprehended after being shot in the leg,” the officer said.
The accused husband’s mother, identified as Daya (55) and wife of Satyaveer, has also been arrested. She had been absconding since the incident and has been named in the FIR filed by the victim’s family, the PRO said.
The FIR was lodged on Friday under BNS sections 103(1) (murder), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 61 (2) (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or others) at Kasna Police Station in Greater Noida. The case was registered on 22 August, the police said.
Sudhir Kumar, ADCP, Greater Noida, said, “Vipin Bhati was being escorted to recover the used flammable content bottle from the site in Greater Noida, meanwhile he snatched the gun of the Sub Inspector and tried to flee. He also opened fire on the police team and in self defence police shot in his leg. He was sent for treatment to the hospital.” The victim’s father Bhikahri Singh said his daughters Kanchan (29) and Nikki (26) were married to brothers Rohit Bhati and Vipin Bhati, respectively, in 2016. “Since then they have been torturing both the daughters and demanded dowry.” “They demanded a Scorpio car. We gave them, and again they demanded a bullet motorcycle, which we gave them. Their demands were increasing day by day. And after that they began demanding Rs 36 lakh from us,” he added.
He claimed that many times a panchayat was organised to settle the dispute, but all the efforts were wasted.
“I want strict action against the family and an encounter should be done. This is Baba’s (Yogi Adityanath) government, their house should also be bulldozed. If not we will sit on hunger strike,” he demanded.
The mother of the victim has also demanded strict action against the entire family of Vipin, because they had killed her daughter for dowry.
An Instagram ID, having profile picture of the accused husband, showed a purported post of Vipin Bhati in which he said, “Mujhe toh bata deti, ak baar, kya hua tha, mujhe chhod kyun chali gayi tuu (you should have told me once, what had happened. Why did you leave me?)” “Aisa kyun kiya, duniya hatyara bol rahi hai Nikki? (Why did you do this? The world is calling me a killer Nikki)” Vipin Bhati said.
Nikki’s elder sister, Kanchan recorded a video of the attack and accused Vipin Bhati and his family members of killing her sister for dowry.
“We were beaten and tortured for days. They were demanding Rs 36 lakh. They hit her on the neck and head, threw acid, and set her on fire in front of her child,” Kanchan told reporters.
The sister said that she, too, was assaulted when she tried to intervene.
The victim’s son (aged around six), who witnessed the horrifying incident, said,“Meri mumma ke upar kuch dala, fir unko chanta mara fir lighter se aag laga di. (they poured something on my mother, slapped her and set her ablaze using a lighter).” Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sudhir Kumar had on Friday said that police got a call from Fortis Hospital informing them that a woman with burn injuries had been admitted and was referred to Safdarjung Hospital.
“Police immediately left for Safdarjung Hospital, but the woman succumbed to her injuries before the team could reach the hospital,” he said.
Kanchan said that their in-laws wanted her sister to go away so that Vipin could be remarried. “They slapped me. I was injured and unconscious the entire day.” Nikki was cremated by her family members.
Based on Kanchan’s complaint, a case was registered against Nikki’s husband, Bhati, and his family at Kasna Police Station.
Nikki married Vipin in 2016 and the couple has a son. PTI COR KIS NB
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