Cylinder Blast or Dowry Murder? Nikki Bhati's Death in Greater Noida

Greater Noida, August 28, 2025 – Nikki Bhati, a 28-year-old woman, died from severe burn injuries, leaving authorities grappling with conflicting accounts of a gas cylinder explosion versus allegations of a dowry-driven murder. The case, unfolding in Greater Noida’s Sirsa area, has sparked outrage, with police arresting her husband, Vipin Bhati, his parents, and his brother Rohit following a chilling FIR by Nikki’s sister, Kanchan.

A leaked memo from Fortis Hospital, where Nikki was admitted on August 21 at 6 pm, claims she suffered critical injuries from a gas cylinder explosion. The memo, written in Hindi, states, “Ghar par gas cylinder fatne se mareej ko kaafi gambheer roop se jal gaya hai” (The patient has suffered severe burn injuries due to a gas cylinder explosion at home). In English, it notes, “Burn at home, due to blast of cooking cylinder.”

Doctors and nurses told police Nikki herself attributed her 80% burns to a cooking accident in her dying declaration. However, police inspections found no evidence of a cylinder blast at her residence: no fragments, no scorched debris.

Kanchan’s FIR paints a grim picture, accusing Vipin, his parents, and Rohit of setting Nikki ablaze over dowry demands in front of her six-year-old son. She claims, despite their family providing an SUV and valuables in 2016, the in-laws persistently demanded more. Video evidence captured by Kanchan shows Nikki engulfed in flames, staggering down stairs, with a voice crying, “Yeh kya kar liya” (What have you done?). Another clip reveals the mother-in-law intervening between Nikki and Vipin, while CCTV footage places Vipin at a grocery shop during the incident, rushing home shortly after.

Investigators recovered an empty thinner bottle and a lighter from Nikki’s home, now under forensic analysis, further discrediting the explosion narrative. Kasna SHO Dharmendra Shukla stated, “It is believed she did not want anyone to be sent behind bars, which is why she did not blame anyone in her last words.” CCTV from Fortis Hospital shows neighbor Devendra driving Nikki to the facility, accompanied by her in-laws and Rohit. On Sunday, Vipin was shot in the leg by police during an alleged escape attempt, escalating tensions.

Uttar Pradesh Women Commission member Meenakshi Bharala visited Nikki’s family, assuring a fast-track trial and impartial investigation. Nikki’s mother fainted repeatedly while recounting the ordeal, and Kanchan was hospitalized for dehydration and low blood pressure from excessive grief. The sisters, married into the same family in 2016, reportedly faced disputes over Instagram reels and their parlor business, fueling household tensions.

Police continue to collect statements from hospital staff and Kanchan, with Nikki’s son’s account still pending due to his trauma. The absence of cylinder blast evidence, coupled with damning videos and forensic findings, tilts the case toward dowry-related violence.

(Rh/Eth/VK/MSM)