Noida dowry murder: Did Nikki Bhati’s beauty parlour business, Instagram reels anger her husband?

As outrage erupted in Noida over the death of 28-year-old Nikki Bhati, who was allegedly set on fire by her husband following disputes linked to dowry demands, police have now shed light on what triggered the argument that spiralled into the brutal crime.

According to a Hindustan Times report citing police officials, on August 21, the day Nikki was killed, she had expressed her wish to reopen a beauty parlour with her sister Kanchan — a decision that did not go well husband, Vipin and his family.

So, how did the disagreement turn into such a horrific act? And what has unfolded since? Here’s what we know so far.

‘Posting reels, running parlour not allowed’

On the afternoon of August 21, just hours before her death, Nikki had told her husband, Vipin, that she planned to reopen a beauty parlour with her elder sister, Kanchan.

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Vipin strongly objected to the idea, but Nikki refused to back down. “Around 3.30 pm, Nikki told Vipin that she and her sister would reopen the parlour. When he refused, Nikki said that no one could stop them from reopening, which Bhati opposed,” Kasna station house officer Dharmendra Shukla told The Hindustan Times.

What followed was an argument that quickly escalated. “Vipin told her that in their family, posting reels on Instagram and running a parlour were not allowed. The issue turned ugly, and he started assaulting her,” Shukla added.

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Barely two hours later, Nikki’s brother Rohit received a devastating call from Kanchan. “We were informed by my sister Kanchan Bhati around 5.30 pm that she was burned alive by her husband, Vipin Bhati, following a dowry dispute. Kanchan and her in-laws (Vipin’s parents) rushed her from hospital to hospital, as Vipin fled the spot after the incident,” Rohit told the outlet.

Kanchan later recounted the horror she witnessed. “That same evening, they brutally assaulted my sister in front of me and the children. They then threw some liquid on her and set her ablaze in front of my eyes,” she alleged.

Nikki and Kanchan, who were married into the same family, were also business partners and content creators. To promote their parlour, they had built a social media presence with an Instagram handle called ‘Makeover by Kanchan’, which had over 54,500 followers.

Both sisters also ran personal accounts, Nikki’s private handle had around 1,100 followers, while Kanchan had a following of 22,000. Together, their content had crossed 2.9 million views, according to reports.

Their brother Rohit said the family had invested around Rs 8 lakh in Nikki’s parlour about a year and a half ago, since Vipin and his brother were unemployed.

“The family runs a small grocery shop from their home. My sisters were independently bearing their children’s expenses without asking for money from their husbands. The in-laws were also against their parlour business and damaged the entire parlour in February this year,” Rohit alleged.

Family says Nikki was tortured for dowry

Nikki’s family has alleged that she was harassed for dowry soon after her marriage in 2016. Two years into the marriage, they said, her in-laws began pressuring her for Rs 35 lakh.

Her brother added that in the nine years of marriage, Nikki had returned to her parents’ home multiple times over dowry disputes, but the matter was always resolved and she was sent back.

Despite Nikki’s father gifting Vipin a Scorpio SUV, a Royal Enfield motorcycle, gold jewellery, and cash at the time of marriage, her in-laws allegedly continued to demand more.

On the day of the crime, the fight over her decision to reopen the parlour escalated into violence. Nikki was brutally assaulted, and Vipin, along with his mother, Daya, allegedly set her on fire. She died in front of her seven-year-old son and her sister.

Videos circulating on social media show Nikki being dragged by her hair by Vipin with his mother’s help. In other clips, a shirtless Vipin with visible bloodstains can be seen as Nikki, engulfed in flames, limps down the stairs before collapsing. At one point, someone pours water on her in a desperate attempt to relieve her burns.

After the incident, Vipin allegedly tried to portray Nikki’s death as a suicide by posting emotional messages on social media. But when police took him back home to recover evidence, he attempted to escape. He snatched a policeman’s pistol and fired, but was shot in the leg when police retaliated.

According to investigators, Vipin showed no regret during questioning. In a video clip, he was heard saying, “… I have no remorse. I haven’t killed her. She died on her own. Husband and wife often have fights, it is very common…”

Kanchan, who witnessed the murder, has filed a formal complaint. Police have registered an FIR naming four accused, Vipin, his mother Daya, his father Satyavir, and his brother Rohit. All four have been arrested.

A case has been filed under Section 103 (murder), Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and Section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Kasna police station.

With input from agencies