Twist in Noida dowry case as CCTV video surfaces claiming accused 'wasn't at scene'; cops to verify

The footage, reportedly from a shop diagonally opposite the Bhati house in Sirsa village of UP's Greater Noida, carries the time stamp of 5:45 pm.

In what can be a fresh turn in the Greater Noida dowry death case, a purported CCTV footage has surfaced on social media, claiming to show the accused, victim's husband Vipin Bhati, standing at a grocery shop outside his house at the time when his wife Nikki Bhati was allegedly afire on August 21 evening.

Devendra, Vipin's cousin, claimed that Nikki suffered burns from a cylinder blast in the kitchen. (Video grab and Instagram)

Vipin Bhati and his parents as well as brother are accused of setting afire Nikki Bhati over dowry demands. Nikki Bhati succumbed to her injuries later.

The footage, reportedly from a shop diagonally opposite the Bhati house in Sirsa village of Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida, carries the time stamp of 5:45 pm, which according to the complaint from Nikki's family is the same as the that on the video shared by Kanchan, Nikki's sister, of the alleged attack, according to a Times of India report, which cited police sources.

Nikki and Kanchan were married into the same family, to two brothers, in 2016.

While the report mentions the time stamp, it does not mention the date of the CCTV footage. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Greater Noida additional deputy commissioner of police, Sudhir Kumar, later said cops cannot confirm the authenticity of that video of Vipin Bhati going viral on social media. It was circulating only on social media, Kumar said, adding that it is too early to comment on the timings of the CCTV and the incident.

What does the purported clip show?

In the CCTV clip, the man, believed to be Vipin, can be seen standing near a white car parked on the main road in a check shirt and blue trousers outside the house at 5.42pm.

The footage further shows a boy joining the man, seemingly holding a rope that he tugs several times. The man can be seen chatting with two or three boys when suddenly, at 5.47 pm, a commotion appears to erupt. The man in the check shirt sprints towards the house, followed closely by an older man who also rushes inside. Moments later, the man in check shirt comes out running, gesturing to bystanders who gather.

The man is seen talking to another man in shorts while more people gather. At 5.48 pm, the man gets into the white car, briefly steps out, and then reverses the vehicle into the lane.

Vipin's cousin claims it was a cylinder blast

Devendra, Vipin's cousin, claimed that Nikki suffered burns from a cylinder blast in the kitchen. "The shop where Vipin is standing is opposite their house. I heard Vipin shouting about rushing Nikki to hospital. Everyone was shouting about Nikki being injured in a fire. If you see the footage, you'll see me walking out of my shop in shorts after Vipin. I downed the shutters and drove the car. Along with uncle and aunty (Daya and Satveer), I took Nikki to hospital. She told us there was a cylinder blast inside the house and kept asking for water all the way to the hospital as she couldn't breathe. We took her to Fortis Hospital, where she also told the doctor about a cylinder blast," the TOI report quoted Devendra.

A senior officer quoted in the report said the timing of the footage and that of videos shared by Nikki's family need to be cross-checked. "We will cross-check a few things, especially the time span. We are anyway verifying the contents of the footage and the video handed over to us by Kanchan as the main evidence. Footage from the hospital where Nikki was taken to initially needs to be examined too," the report quoted the officer.

Devendra's version conflicts with that of Kanchan, who alleged her sister was set on fire. In one of the videos posted by Kanchan on her YouTube channel, Vipin is seen dragging Nikki by the hair and taunting her to "make a video". According to Vipin's relatives, the clips, including one showing Nikki engulfed in flames, are from last winter and not August 21.

Police said they would probe all possibilities, including dowry harassment, domestic violence and suicide. "The accused, the husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law, have all been arrested," said Sudhir Kumar, additional DCP, Greater Noida.

Kanchan, meanwhile, has alleged that her sister was set on fire.

Disturbing visuals of Nikki being assaulted by Vipin and engulfed in flames on stairs have surfaced on social media amid conflicting claims by both the families.

Police said the victim's family has alleged that Vipin Bhati and his kin opposed Nikki's desire to be on social media and reopen a parlour she used to run. The couple had an argument over this on August 21. When Nikki insisted, arguing that no one could stop her, Vipin snapped, police said, adding that he allegedly doused her with flammable liquid and set her ablaze inside their house. She died hours later in a Delhi hospital.

Police have arrested Vipin Bhati, his brother Rohit Bhati and their parents in connection with the case. Rohit Bhati was married to Kanchan.