A shocking case from Greater Noida has emerged where a woman was allegedly set on fire by her husband and in-laws over dowry. The main suspect, her husband Vipin, has been taken into custody. The police have filed charges against four family members, including Nikki's husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and brother-in-law.
Source: aajtak
Accused of setting his wife on fire for unmet demands of luxury cars and cash, Vipin Bhati appears to enjoy a life of opulence. He uses social media to flaunt his ties with local politicians and police, often seen traveling in his white Scorpio with a red beacon.
The Instagram account named 'Ch Vipu Gujjar' profiles him as a lawyer who frequently uploads party snapshots with friends to trending Haryanvi songs.
Exhibition of Wealth and Influence
Source: aajtak
Nikki's family claims they gave a Scorpio car, a Royal Enfield motorcycle, gold, and cash as dowry at her wedding. However, Vipin and his family allegedly continued to harass Nikki for more dowry. Out of Vipin's 244 Instagram posts, about 80 prominently feature the white Mahindra Scorpio SUV.
Occasionally, it sports a BJP flag or a sticker of a local politician, pseudo-police markings, or a red siren indicating power and influence. By law, only top officials are permitted to use red beacons on their vehicles in the country.
Source: aajtak
In a 2022 post, Vipin is seen with BJP MLA Nand Kishore Gurjar. His frequent appearances at party rallies and the BJP emblem on his vehicle hint at political affiliation.
Videos on Vipin's Instagram show him drinking and partying, including a clip at a Greater Noida farmhouse. Poolside parties, farmhouse gatherings, mountain trips, and photo ops atop his car are recurring themes in his posts.
Source: aajtak
Online Support Movement
Post-arrest, Gujjar community social media accounts have rallied in Vipin's defense, spreading messages portraying him as an innocent 'brother.'
Over twenty Facebook and Instagram pages connected to the Gujjar community, such as gurjar_page_india, heer_gujjar_page, ikka_gurjar_7o7o, and veer_gurjar_ekta_page, have openly supported the accused.
Thousands of accounts have cautioned against rushing to judgment and casting blame on the victim in their posts. More than 2,000 accounts shared a post regarding Nikki's death on Instagram 'Stories' after it went viral.
Vipin's social media features an old photo of him with Nikki with the caption: "Why did you do this, Nikki? Why did you leave me alone? People call me a murderer because of you? Everything's falling apart without you."
Related Reading: Was it Dowry, a Mercedes, or Social Media Drama? What's Behind the Greater Noida Nikki Murder Case
His supporters further their narrative claiming Nikki and her sister Kanchan defied an early-year directive by the village council to cease creating short-form videos on Instagram. Nikki and her sister continued promoting their work on their 59,000+ follower-strong salon Instagram account.
Supporters shared a video of Kanchan screaming, "Nikki, what have you done?" interpreting it as proof Nikki self-immolated. Another CCTV clip (showing Vipin strolling on the street) backs claims he wasn't home during the incident.
In a media interview, Nikki's 5-year-old son alleged Vipin poured something on his mom and set her alight with a lighter.
The disturbing viral video showed Vipin hitting Nikki, dragging her by her hair, and limping down the stairs after being set aflame. The #JusticeForNikki hashtag has driven a social media campaign demanding Vipin face justice. This campaign gained momentum Saturday evening, reaching over 8,500 posts by Sunday.
