Nikki Bhati Murder: Noida Police Arrests Brother-In-Law Rohit

The Uttar Pradesh Police have made a third arrest in the dowry murder case of 28-year-old Nikki Bhati from Greater Noida. The latest person to be arrested is Nikki's brother-in-law named Rohit Bhati, who was taken into custody on Monday morning following a police encounter. He has been sent to 14 days of judicial custody.

Nikki Bhati died from severe burns she sustained on August 21. According to police, her husband, Vipin Bhati, set her on fire after an argument about her wanting to reopen her beauty parlor and post videos on Instagram. Vipin, who was arrested earlier, reportedly showed "no remorse" for her death.

Nikki's family claims that she had been tortured for dowry since her marriage in 2016. They allege the family demanded ₹36 lakh in addition to a Scorpio and a motorcycle, which they had already provided.

Videos of the incident surfaced online, showing Vipin and another woman assaulting Nikki and dragging her by her hair. One video shows a man pouring a liquid, believed to be thinner from the parlor, on her. Another video shows Vipin brutally assaulting her, and a third shows Nikki walking down a staircase, severely burnt, before collapsing. She died on her way to the hospital on Thursday.

According to police, the fatal argument started when Nikki told Vipin that she and her sister would reopen her beauty parlor. When he refused, the argument escalated, with Vipin stating that posting reels on Instagram and running a parlor were not allowed in their family. The argument turned violent, and he began assaulting her.