They wanted Mercedes, more money: Family of Noida dowry death victim recalls 9 years of torture

Noida: "Their demands were increasing day by day... and they had started asking for Rs 36 lakh in dowry from us," said the father of 26-year-old Nikki, who was allegedly tortured and set ablaze by her in-laws in Greater Noida.

The family recalled a nine-year-long "torture" Nikki and her sister Kanchan (29) went through -- frequent fights, assault, demands of more money and expensive cars.

Demanding strict action against the family, the father Bhikahri Singh said, "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." In 2016, both sisters were married in the same family, Nikki to Vipin Bhati and Kanchan to Rohit Bhati.

"At wedding they demanded a Scorpio car. We gave them, and again they demanded a bullet motorcycle, which also we gave. Their demands were increasing day by day. And after that they began demanding Rs 36 lakh from us," he added.

"Both brother don't work. Since marriage, they kept asking for money, sometimes they said give us your Mercedes, they asked for our Scorpio. I helped my daughter to open her own beauty parlour as Vipin had no work. He then started stealing money from the parlour," Singh told PTI Videos.

While Vipin was arrested on Saturday, his mother was nabbed earlier today.

He claimed that many times a panchayat was organised to settle the dispute, but all the efforts were wasted.

Pointing to a Mercedes parked outside Bhikahri Singh's house, another relative told PTI Videos, "Vipin had been demanding this car for over a year. He said either give the Mercedes or Rs 60 lakh." Nikki's mother said, "They demanded a top model of Scorpio car. We told them we can only give Swift Dzire, still we gave the Scorpio and 30 tola gold (approximately 350 gram) at the wedding." "When my daughters had children, we gave motorcycle and 11 tola gold (approximately 128 gram), they still tortured them. When we brought them back home, they held panchayat, pleaded us for their return.... still the abuse continued." "My daughter kept reassuring me that good days will come.. but they never did," the inconsolable mother said.

She demanded strict action against the entire Bhati family.

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.

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.

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)." While addressing the media, Kanchan said, "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." She added that she, too, was assaulted when she tried to intervene. "They slapped me. I was injured and unconscious the entire day." Kanchan said that their in-laws wanted her sister to go away so that Vipin could be remarried.

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.

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.

His mother Daya (55) was nabbed on Sunday arrested. She had been absconding since the incident and has been named in the FIR filed by the victim's family, the PRO said.

An 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, they said.

Nikki was cremated by her family members.