Overview
- Nikki Bhati died of severe burn injuries on August 21 after she was allegedly set on fire in her Greater Noida home, a crime her family has long said grew out of repeated dowry demands.
- Noida police filed a 173‑page chargesheet on November 20 accusing four relatives — husband Vipin, brother Rohit, and parents Satveer and Daya — of murder, and investigators cited CCTV and mobile‑location evidence.
- Vipin and three relatives were arrested after the August case; Rohit, Satveer and Daya later won bail while Vipin remains in custody after being shot in the leg during an alleged escape attempt.
- Late May reports say the two families reached a panchayat settlement that transfers property to Nikki’s children and includes financial help, and Nikki’s family has said it will file an affidavit to withdraw the complaint.
- The prosecution now faces uncertainty because the prime witness, Kanchan, has turned hostile and the private settlement could narrow practical chances of conviction even though the chargesheet remains on record and the state can legally continue the case.