‘World Is Calling Me a Killer’: Man’s Chilling Post Before Arrest for Burning Wife to Death
Hours before his arrest for allegedly murdering his wife over dowry, a Greater Noida man took to social media with a bizarre post, questioning why she had left him and lamenting that the “world is calling me a killer.” The man, identified as Vipin Bhati, was arrested on Saturday after his 28-year-old wife, Nikki, died from severe burn injuries in a horrific incident that was partially captured on video.
In a brazen attempt to feign innocence, Bhati, an advocate by profession, posted on Instagram early Saturday morning, “Why did you leave me? Why did you do this? The world is calling me a killer, Nikki.” In another post featuring a video of the smiling couple with their son, he wrote, “I am devastated… I am left with nothing.” These posts stood in stark contrast to the grim reality of the crime.
The incident unfolded on Thursday night when Nikki was allegedly brutally assaulted and then set on fire. Disturbing videos that surfaced online reportedly show her being dragged by her hair and later, engulfed in flames and limping down a flight of stairs. She was rushed to a local hospital before being referred to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, but died on the way.
Nikki’s family has alleged a long history of dowry-related torture. Her elder sister, Kanchan, who is married to Vipin’s elder brother, said the harassment began just six months into Nikki’s marriage in 2016. “They asked us to get Rs 36 lakh from our home,” Kanchan stated, describing how both sisters were constantly tortured. “They told me, ‘We have got dowry for one, what about the other? You are better off dead. We will marry again.’”
The most damning evidence has come from the couple’s young son. In a heart-wrenching statement, the boy reportedly said that his father “killed” his mother. “They first put something on mumma. Then they slapped her before setting her on fire using a lighter,” the child was quoted as saying.
Following a formal complaint, police arrested Vipin Bhati. The investigation is ongoing as authorities probe the roles of other family members in the brutal dowry death.
