A 28-year-old woman died after being set ablaze by her husband and in-laws in Greater Noida over alleged dowry demands, police said on Saturday. Her husband, Vipin Bhati, 28, has been arrested, while his father Satyaveer Bhati and brother Rohit Bhati remain absconding, investigators said.
The incident occurred on August 21 in Sirsa village under Kasna police station limits.
According to police, the victim, identified as Nikki, was allegedly doused with inflammable liquid and set on fire following years of harassment for not fulfilling a ₹35 lakh dowry demand. She succumbed to her injuries while being shifted from Fortis Hospital, Noida, to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.
Police said Nikki’s mother-in-law Daya, father-in-law Satyaveer, and brother-in-law Rohit have also been named in the FIR. Vipin, who runs a grocery shop with his family, was arrested soon after the complaint was lodged.
The case came to light after Nikki’s sister Kanchan filed a complaint detailing years of alleged abuse. She stated that the marriage was solemnised in December 2016, with no dowry exchanged at the time. However, over the years, Nikki’s husband and in-laws allegedly began pressuring her to bring ₹35 lakh from her parental home. When the demand was not met, the harassment reportedly escalated into violence.
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A copy of the FIR, reviewed by HT, quotes Kanchan as saying: “On August 21 at about 5.30pm, Vipin, along with his mother Daya, father Satyaveer, and brother Rohit, poured an inflammable substance on my sister and set her ablaze, causing her death. I rushed her to Fortis hospital, from where she was referred to Safdarjung. She succumbed to her injuries on the way.”
Confirming the sequence of events, ADCP Greater Noida Sudhir Kumar said: “We received information from Fortis Hospital on the night of August 21 about a woman admitted with severe burn injuries. She was later referred to Delhi but died en route. An autopsy was conducted, and the body has been handed over to the family.”
Police said an FIR under Section 103 (murder), Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and Section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered. Vipin was arrested, while teams have been deployed to trace his absconding relatives.
Investigators are also examining whether Nikki was subjected to a sustained pattern of dowry harassment before her killing.
The incident has triggered widespread anger in Sirsa village, where residents have demanded strict punishment for the accused. Protests have begun in the area, with locals raising slogans of “Justice for Nikki” as the probe continues.