Greater Noida dowry death: Sis-in-law accuses Nikki’s family of harassment, dowry demands

In a fresh twist to the Greater Noida dowry death case, Nikki’s estranged sister-in-law Meenakshi on Wednesday accused that she was physically assaulted and humiliated by Nikki’s family over dowry demands.

Meenakshi said she got married to Nikki’s elder brother Rohit in 2016 and faced humiliation from Day 1. She claimed that Rohit, her mother-in-law, Nikki and Kanchan would physically assault her, and she was “not allowed to keep a phone” or speak to anyone.

The statement has added a new dimension to the ongoing investigation into the suspected dowry death of Nikki, which sparked massive outrage over dowry deaths, harassment and brutality meted out to women.

Speaking to mediapersons from her parents’ house at Palla village in Dadri, Meenakshi (31) alleged that she could “not live peacefully for a single day” at her in-laws’ house.

“I stayed at my in-laws’ place for just six months and then returned to my father’s home. Since then, I have been living here,” she said.

“They used to beat me and demand cash from me. My father gave them a sedan car and gold for a good wedding, but they did not accept it. They demanded a new SUV within a week and additional cash,” she alleged. “Both sisters used to taunt me, saying Rohit did not like me and they would get him remarried,” she said.

Meanwhile, the police also recovered inflammable substance from Nikki’s room. As per investigators, the material has been sent for forensic examination and will be matched with that of the traces found on the Nikki’s body.

The new findings seem to mark a shift from earlier allegations that Nikki was set on fire with a flammable liquid by her husband Vipin Bhati and his family.

The police will also re-examine the statement of Nikki’s sister Kanchan, who shot a video of the alleged incident, lodged the FIR and claimed to have tried to intervene in the matter.