NEW DELHI: The death of 26-year-old Nikki Bhati in Greater Noida has once again brought the issue of dowry to the fore in India, highlighting how entrenched the practice remains despite being outlawed more than six decades ago.
Nikki, who died after suffering severe burns on 21 August, was allegedly set ablaze in her in-laws’ home in Sirsa village. Videos said to show her being assaulted by her husband, and later engulfed in flames, have shaken public opinion.
Her family says that despite having gifted her in-laws a Scorpio SUV, a motorcycle and gold during her marriage in 2016, fresh demands of Rs 36 lakh and a luxury car followed.
Women’s rights activist Yogita Bhayana told PTI: "I recently attended a wedding in Noida and it was horrifying. I saw luxury cars -- Fortuners, Mercedes -- being openly gifted as dowry. Politicians were there, celebrating. I couldn’t tolerate witnessing such glorification of dowry and left.”
Speaking about Nikki’s case, she added: "Even in Nikki's case, I was on a channel where her father was also a panellist. Despite what they’re facing now, during the debate he repeatedly emphasised that he had given a top-model SUV to his son-in-law. This only shows how normalised dowry is, even among those grieving."
‘Systemic, not isolated’
Bhayana said Nikki’s death underlines how deeply dowry is interwoven into Indian social fabric. Despite reaching out for help and panchayat interventions, Nikki was repeatedly sent back to her husband’s home.
“We often portray parents of victims solely as victims themselves, but sometimes, they also enable these situations. Nikki, too, must have expressed distress multiple times. Still, the parents sent her back -- fearing society's judgment, choosing image over her safety. And we all know this wasn’t the first time she was beaten... Her death wasn’t an isolated crime. It was systemic,” she said.
Dowry remains pervasive across caste and class. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 35,493 women were killed in India between 2017 and 2022 over dowry demands – nearly 20 deaths a day.
Other recent cases
A day after Nikki’s death, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, school teacher Sanju Bishnoi allegedly set herself and her three-year-old daughter on fire over dowry harassment . The child died instantly; Bishnoi succumbed to her injuries the following day.
In another case in Madhya Pradesh, a 23-year-old woman was hospitalised with burn injuries after she alleged her husband branded her with a heated knife over dowry demands.
Psychological and legal dimensions
Psychologist Dr Shweta Sharma said dowry has evolved into a tool for reinforcing patriarchal control. “Despite women now holding high-paying jobs, they are still treated as dependents, with dowry fulfilling a need to satisfy male ego. When this control feels threatened, it can escalate to abuse and even violence, often carried out with little regard for consequences,” she said.
She explained that dowry reinforces the view of women as liabilities, with their parents expected to fulfill obligations.
Lawyer Seema Kushwaha said dowry cases are also weakened in courts by legal loopholes and societal bias. “Dowry demands have evolved over time, with the groom's families often claiming that the items given were mere ‘gifts, not demands’ and using this as a legal defense to dismiss allegations. This common tactic significantly weakens the woman's case in court,” she said.
She added that misuse of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code – introduced in 1983 to combat dowry deaths – is often overstated, undermining the larger number of genuine victims.
“Courts often interpret cruelty based on societal norms rather than strictly following codified law. They require medical reports or visible bruises to confirm cruelty, which unfairly disadvantages victims of mental and emotional abuse that leaves no physical marks,” Kushwaha said.
A recurring cycle
Nikki was married at 17 and endured nine years of alleged harassment before her death. All four accused – her husband Vipin, her mother-in-law Daya, father-in-law Satveer and brother-in-law Rohit – are under arrest as the investigation continues.
But campaigners say her case is not an exception, just one that has drawn national attention. Thousands of others remain hidden or unreported.
As Bhayana warned: “Her death wasn’t an isolated crime. It was systemic.”
Nikki, who died after suffering severe burns on 21 August, was allegedly set ablaze in her in-laws’ home in Sirsa village. Videos said to show her being assaulted by her husband, and later engulfed in flames, have shaken public opinion.
Her family says that despite having gifted her in-laws a Scorpio SUV, a motorcycle and gold during her marriage in 2016, fresh demands of Rs 36 lakh and a luxury car followed.
Women’s rights activist Yogita Bhayana told PTI: "I recently attended a wedding in Noida and it was horrifying. I saw luxury cars -- Fortuners, Mercedes -- being openly gifted as dowry. Politicians were there, celebrating. I couldn’t tolerate witnessing such glorification of dowry and left.”
Speaking about Nikki’s case, she added: "Even in Nikki's case, I was on a channel where her father was also a panellist. Despite what they’re facing now, during the debate he repeatedly emphasised that he had given a top-model SUV to his son-in-law. This only shows how normalised dowry is, even among those grieving."
‘Systemic, not isolated’
Bhayana said Nikki’s death underlines how deeply dowry is interwoven into Indian social fabric. Despite reaching out for help and panchayat interventions, Nikki was repeatedly sent back to her husband’s home.
“We often portray parents of victims solely as victims themselves, but sometimes, they also enable these situations. Nikki, too, must have expressed distress multiple times. Still, the parents sent her back -- fearing society's judgment, choosing image over her safety. And we all know this wasn’t the first time she was beaten... Her death wasn’t an isolated crime. It was systemic,” she said.
Dowry remains pervasive across caste and class. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 35,493 women were killed in India between 2017 and 2022 over dowry demands – nearly 20 deaths a day.
Other recent cases
A day after Nikki’s death, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, school teacher Sanju Bishnoi allegedly set herself and her three-year-old daughter on fire over dowry harassment . The child died instantly; Bishnoi succumbed to her injuries the following day.
In another case in Madhya Pradesh, a 23-year-old woman was hospitalised with burn injuries after she alleged her husband branded her with a heated knife over dowry demands.
Psychological and legal dimensions
Psychologist Dr Shweta Sharma said dowry has evolved into a tool for reinforcing patriarchal control. “Despite women now holding high-paying jobs, they are still treated as dependents, with dowry fulfilling a need to satisfy male ego. When this control feels threatened, it can escalate to abuse and even violence, often carried out with little regard for consequences,” she said.
She explained that dowry reinforces the view of women as liabilities, with their parents expected to fulfill obligations.
Lawyer Seema Kushwaha said dowry cases are also weakened in courts by legal loopholes and societal bias. “Dowry demands have evolved over time, with the groom's families often claiming that the items given were mere ‘gifts, not demands’ and using this as a legal defense to dismiss allegations. This common tactic significantly weakens the woman's case in court,” she said.
She added that misuse of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code – introduced in 1983 to combat dowry deaths – is often overstated, undermining the larger number of genuine victims.
“Courts often interpret cruelty based on societal norms rather than strictly following codified law. They require medical reports or visible bruises to confirm cruelty, which unfairly disadvantages victims of mental and emotional abuse that leaves no physical marks,” Kushwaha said.
A recurring cycle
Nikki was married at 17 and endured nine years of alleged harassment before her death. All four accused – her husband Vipin, her mother-in-law Daya, father-in-law Satveer and brother-in-law Rohit – are under arrest as the investigation continues.
But campaigners say her case is not an exception, just one that has drawn national attention. Thousands of others remain hidden or unreported.
As Bhayana warned: “Her death wasn’t an isolated crime. It was systemic.”
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