Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 25 : The Noida Police on Monday arrested the brother-in-law of the victim in the alleged dowry murder case, making it the third arrest in the matter.
This comes after the police arrested the mother-in-law of the victim on Sunday
Meanwhile, Vimal Bhati, who is accused of setting his wife on fire, who later succumbed to her injuries, was admitted to a hospital in Greater Noida on Sunday for treatment after being shot in the leg during an encounter with Uttar Pradesh police. The accused was sent to a 14-day Judicial Custody.
Police said that the husband of the deceased was accused of setting his wife on fire, who later succumbed to her injuries. He was also accused of frequently assaulting Nikki.
Speaking to ANI from his hospital bed, Bhati denied the allegations. "I did not kill her. She died on her own," he said. When asked about the accusations of physical assault, he replied, "Husband and wife often have fights, it is very common..."The victim's father told ANI that she had 70 per cent burns and was pronounced dead at the Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi.
"I reached there as soon as my elder daughter called me..The doctor told me she is 70% burnt..We took her to Safdarjung Hospital. The doctor told me to take her back because she would not be able to survive. He (her husband) should be hanged. They got married in 2016. He started harassing her a few days after marriage...They asked for Rs. 35 lakhs... She started her own work, and her husband began asking for the money she earned. I demand that the Court and CM give him the death penalty..."
Meanwhile, the family of the deceased woman, Nikki Bhati, held a protest outside the Kasana Police station today, demanding justice.
The father of the deceased woman alleged that her in-laws killed her over their demand for dowry.
"Her mother-in-law poured kerosene while her husband set her on fire. They kept asking for dowry; now their demands have been met. I just married my daughter as per tradition. Their dowry demands have been met now that my daughter has died. They demanded a car and tortured my daughter for that."
He also accused the husband of domestic violence. "That person is neither man nor human; he is a butcher. We once brought her home because of all this domestic violence, but because of societal pressure, they came and took her back on the promise of not repeating this. It continued. Now they have got what they wanted," he said.
Reacting to the incident, Samajwadi Party women's wing national president Juhi Singh said that the strictest punishment should be given in the case. "Strictest punishment should be given in this case... The parents should empower their daughters, keep them safe and raise voice for their rights... This is not worth an apology... There are laws for crimes against women, but the government is not implementing them..."