Indian Wife ‘Set on Fire by Husband’ in Dowry Murder

A young Indian woman was allegedly burned alive by her husband in front of their son after years of dowry-related abuse.

Nikki Bhati was allegedly doused with a flammable liquid and set on fire at her home in Greater Noida. The incident happened on August 21, 2025, and was filmed and shared on social media.

In one video, her husband Vipin Bhati and his mother were filmed allegedly assaulting her and dragging her by her hair.

Another showed Nikki, badly burned, stumbling down a staircase before collapsing.

She was rushed to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital but later died from her injuries.

Police arrested Bhati along with three family members, including his mother Daya, father Satyavir and brother Rohit.

Officers later shot Bhati in the leg as he allegedly tried to flee.

Speaking from hospital, he denied murder, saying that “husband and wife often have fights.”

Nikki married into the Bhati family in 2016. Relatives described the ceremony as a “lavish wedding” with significant dowry payments.

The bride’s family gifted an SUV, a Royal Enfield motorbike, gold, and cash as part of the marriage arrangement. But her family said demands escalated further in the years that followed.

Her father Bhikari Singh said: “They kept asking for more money, first a car, then our Mercedes.

“When I refused, they would beat her. They wanted another 3.6m rupees (£34,000). They killed my daughter because we would not pay more money.”

Her sister Kanchan witnessed the assault and said she was also attacked when she tried to intervene.

She alleged: “I saw my sister burning before my eyes. I heard his mother shouting, ‘Kill her, finish it’.”

Police confirmed the husband faces murder charges, as police chief Dharmendra Shukla said:

“We have arrested four people, including Vipin for burning his wife alive. They are facing murder charges.”

The killing has triggered widespread outrage. Protests erupted in Delhi and Noida, with demonstrators carrying placards reading “Justice for Nikki” and demanding the death penalty for her killers.

Karuna Nundy, a Supreme Court lawyer, criticised India’s dowry system:

“Instead of giving daughters their rightful share of property, families pour money into weddings, and dowries, almost like paying ransom, hoping their daughters will be kept safe.”

“The kind of man who demands dowry is often the kind who will also humiliate, beat or even kill his wife or allow his parents to do so.”

“Dowry laws are rarely enforced properly.

“Rather than punishing abuse and protecting women, the authorities dismiss cases altogether, leaving women without safety or shelter.”

Dowry has been outlawed in India since 1961, but studies suggest it remains deeply entrenched. Around 90% of Indian marriages still involve dowry payments, according to recent research.

Official data show 35,493 brides were killed between 2017 and 2022 over dowry disputes. That is an average of nearly 20 women every day across India.

Campaigners say the real toll is higher. Many families avoid reporting dowry-related crimes due to fear of stigma or violent retaliation.

Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research in Delhi, said:

“In India, marriages remain transactional across every class and dowry has become the unspoken rule.

“There is a greed for easy money and it’s a curse, one that destroys the lives of daughters-in-law and even corrodes the lives of sons.

“Although the law criminalises both giving and taking dowry, not a single case has punished those who give, leaving the system lopsided.”