Satveer, the father-in-law of Nikki Bhati, has been arrested in connection with her murder in Greater Noida. Nikki died after being assaulted and set on fire at her in-laws’ home, allegedly due to dowry demands of Rs 36 lakh.
In a horrifying incident, a 28-year-old woman named Nikki Bhati, a resident of Sirsa village in Greater Noida, was allegedly set on fire by her husband and mother-in-law over repeated dowry demands on August 21, 2025. She was tortured and told not to post reels on Instagram, and reopening her parlour was allowed. On Sunday, Nikki’s husband, Vipin Bhati, was sent to 14-day judicial custody, and her mother-in-law, Daya Bhati, and brother-in-law Rohit were arrested. In the fresh development, Nikki’s father-in-law, Satveer, has been nabbed, with four arrests in the case so far.
Here are 10 key developments in the Greater Noida dowry murder case:
Nikki Bhati was murdered by her husband on August 21 in Sirsa village, Greater Noida. Disturbing footage showed her limping down the stairs while on fire after being brutally thrashed by her husband and in-laws. She had married Vipin in 2016.
Nikki’s elder sister, Kanchan, who is married into the same family, filed a police complaint against her in-laws following the incident. She accused them of thrashing her sister and torturing both of them for a dowry of Rs 36 lakh just six months after Nikki’s marriage. Nikki succumbed to her burn injuries on the way to the hospital.
Kanchan said, “Our father gifted a top-model Scorpio SUV, a Bullet (Royal Enfield) bike, cash, gold, everything. Besides this, gifts would be sent from our home on Karwa Chauth. Our parents did all they could, but the in-laws were not happy. They kept criticising. They would say the clothes gifted by my parents cost Rs 2,” she told NDTV.
Also read: Nikki Bhati’s mother-in-law arrested in Noida dowry murder case
Vipin Bhati has been sent to a 14-day judicial custody. While interrogating him, the police revealed that he had no remorse for the murder of his wife. After burning his wife, he immediately fled his home and went to his relatives’ house. It is alleged that he was strongly against her parlour business. On August 21, Nikki and Vipin had a huge fight over her wanting to reopen the parlour.
Besides Vipin, a case has been registered against the victim’s mother-in-law, Daya, brother-in-law, Rohit, father-in-law, Satveer, and sister-in-law under different sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). In the latest development, Rohit has been arrested.
Nikki’s six-year-old son witnessed the brutal crime and testified that his father and grandmother were involved. “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),” said the victim’s son.
Vipin Bhati was arrested and shot in the leg while trying to flee custody. Senior police officer Sudhir Kumar told the media that they took Vipin to his home to recover the bottle containing the flammable liquid used to burn Nikki. “He snatched a cop’s pistol and opened fire. In retaliatory firing, he suffered a bullet injury in his leg.”
Vipin was taken to a hospital for treatment after he suffered a leg injury in an encounter with police. Speaking from the hospital bed, Vipin said he did not kill his wife and she “died on her own”. “I have no remorse. I haven’t killed her. She died on her own. Husbands and wives often have fights…it is very common,” he told news agency ANI.
Nikki’s father, Bikhari Singh Payla, accused Vipin of having no remorse and compared him to a demon. “They are killers, they should be shot, their home razed. My daughter was bringing up her son by running a parlour. They tortured her. The whole family was involved in the conspiracy, and they killed my daughter,” he told NDTV.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with Nikki’s family demanding justice.
