'Were You Waiting For Her To Get Murdered?': Netizens Demand Arrest Of Nikki Bhati's Father For Keeping Mum Over Harassment

The ghastly murder of Nikki Bhati by her husband and in-laws over dowry in Greater Noida has sent shockwaves across the country, igniting debate on social media about who is responsible for such a crime.

Days after the heinous crime, the victim's father, Bhikhari Singh Payla, narrated to the media how he came to know about the incident.

Speaking to news agency ANI on Sunday, Bhikhari Singh Payla said, "I reached there as soon as my elder daughter called me. The doctor told me she was 70% burnt. We took her to Safdarjung Hospital. The doctor told me to take her back because she would not be able to survive."

Expressing anguish over his terrible loss, he demanded that the accused, his daughter's husband, Vipin Bhati, should be hanged, as he started harassing her after their marriage in 2016.

"He (Vipin) started harassing her a few days after marriage. They asked for Rs 35 lakhs. She started her own work, and her husband began asking for the money she earned. I demand that the court and CM give him the death penalty," he said.

However, a section of social media users are putting equal blame on him for his daughter's death as much as on her husband and in-laws. Some outraged users even demanded that Bhikhari Singh be booked for giving dowry, as it is a crime in the eyes of the law.

"A case should be filed against him as well. For a decade, you saw your daughter suffer and you kept quiet. Shame on you," wrote one user.

"Her father is also responsible for her death, as he consented to the marriage in the first place. Giving dowry itself constitutes an offence. Why did he agree to send his daughter to that greedy family?" wrote another user.

"You cared about your prestige more than her life. You should be charged as well. You knew they harassed her from 2016. Instead of bringing her back home, you cared for prestige and made her adjust. You are at fault as well," commented a third user.

"'He started harassing her a few days after marriage'—WTF were you doing? Waiting for her to get murdered? You enabled all her suffering by being a mute spectator to everything she had to endure every day. Your money was never enough to save her life. She needed support, not your silence," said another user.