New Delhi, Aug 27 Six days after 22-year-old Nikki Bhati was burnt alive at her in-laws’ house, apparently after years of dowry torture, Uttar Pradesh Women Commission member Dr Meenakshi Bharala reached her residence in Greater Noida on Wednesday and met the grieving family members.
She assured Nikki Bhati’s family of an impartial probe into her death and also promised that the murder case would be put on a fast-track trial.
As Dr Meenakshi Bharala tried to console the grief-stricken family, Nikki’s mother as well as her sister lost consciousness multiple times while sharing their horrifying ordeal.
Nikki's mother fainted several times while narrating the family’s trauma over her murder, before the commission member. Nikki’s sister, Kanchan Bhati, also fell down while recounting the blood-curdling episode before her and was taken to the hospital. She was found to be low on blood pressure and suffering from dehydration due to excessive crying.
Dr Meenakshi Bharala shared the family's anguish over the death of Nikki Bhati at an early age and said that if the accused in-laws, including the husband, are proven guilty, they will face the harshest punishment. She also spoke to Nikki's father, Bhikhari Singh Payla and said that all steps will be taken to bring the accused to justice swiftly.
Showing solidarity with Nikki and her family, Dr Bharala said, "She wanted to live her life the way she wanted to. It was her dream to make reels, run a boutique or studio. What was wrong with that? No one has the right to take away the freedom of any girl."
She also expressed concern over the dowry malaise in society and called upon the public at large to discourage and disown such an archaic and regressive practice.
“Today, up to 4-5 crores are being spent on weddings, and the middle class is being affected the most by this. Dowry will end only when the society decides together that it will neither take nor give dowry,” she said.
Nikki's sister, Kanchan, told the commission member that they kept returning to their in-laws' house again and again due to family and societal pressure. She also alleged that on the day of the incident, Nikki had gone upstairs to iron her clothes when the accused husband, Vipin, standing on the stairs, set her on fire.
Dr Meenakshi Bharala said that the police are probing the murder case on priority, and a charge sheet will be filed in three to four days.
“There should not be another Nikki in this country -- we all have to stand together to ensure that,” she added.
On August 21, Nikki, a resident of Sirsa village in Kasna, sustained burn injuries and later died in the hospital.
On the basis of her sister’s complaint, police registered an FIR under various sections of the BNS, following which her husband Vipin, his parents, and brother Rohit were arrested.
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