A 2024 assault FIR against Vipin Bhati, the accused in the alleged Greater Noida dowry case, has resurfaced amid ongoing investigation over the death of his wife who allegedly was set afire by him on August 21.
An assault FIR was registered against Vipin Bhati in 2024 at Jarcha police station after he was caught with a girl, Kasna SHO, Dharmendra Shukla, confirmed to Hindustan Times.
New details and claims have been emerging since the Greater Noida dowry death case hit headlines.
Nikki Bhati, a 28-year-old woman, was allegedly set afire by her husband and in-laws over dowry demands. Nikki's sister Kanchan, married to Vipin Bhati's brother, shared videos showing Nikki engulfed in flames, claiming that she was set on fire by Vipin after an assault.
The Greater Noida Police on Monday arrested the father-in-law and brother-in-law of Nikki Bhati — in connection with her alleged murder in the Kasna area on August 21. On the weekend, police had arrested Vipin and his mother, 55-year-old Daya Bhati.
Investigators familiar with the case details said that Nikki’s murder was the culmination of months of hostility over her wish to run a beauty parlour and her active presence on Instagram, where she regularly posted reels with her sister, Kanchan.
{{/usCountry}}Investigators familiar with the case details said that Nikki’s murder was the culmination of months of hostility over her wish to run a beauty parlour and her active presence on Instagram, where she regularly posted reels with her sister, Kanchan.
{{/usCountry}}On the day of the incident, police said, Nikki again asked her husband to allow her to reopen the parlour she co-owned. Vipin refused, insisting that “women in the family are not allowed to run businesses or create social media content.”
Clips widely shared on social media claim to show Vipin pouring liquid on Nikki as she sat helplessly on the floor. Another clip shows him assaulting her, and a third, captures a horrifying moment of Nikki engulfed in flames, rushing down a staircase.
The family claims these videos were recorded deliberately by Nikki’s sister, Kanchan, who was also present in the house, to document years of abuse.
However, in a twist, a CCTV video claiming to show Vipin Bhati outside the house at the time of the incident has also surfaced parallelly. Police said they cannot confirm the authenticity of that video, adding that it was circulating only on social media.