Nikki Bhati Dowry Death: Family That Cried Foul Now Faces Dowry Allegations From Daughter-in-law

The Noida dowry death case has taken a shocking turn with fresh allegations of dowry harassment against the victim Nikki Bhati’s family. Her sister-in-law, Minakshi, has claimed that she too was thrown out of the house over demands for a new car and cash.

August 27, 2025: The horrible death of 28-year-old Nikki Bhati, who her in-laws are reported to have lit on fire, has taken an unexpected and ironic turn. Nikki’s family has been at the center of the fight for justice, but now new charges have come to light that they did the same thing.

The new charge came from Minakshi, Nikki’s sister-in-law and the estranged wife of her brother Rohit Payla. Minakshi has made a surprising claim: her in-laws, the same family that is grieving Nikki’s death, harassed her for dowry.

Minakshi, who is 31, married Rohit in 2016. She alleges that the Payla family sold the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz that her family gave them as a dowry because they thought it was “inauspicious.” They then purportedly requested for a lot of money and a new Scorpio SUV. Minakshi adds that when her family couldn’t provide these extra needs, she was sent back to live with her parents.

The matter was considered by a local panchayat, which told the Payla family that they could either give back the ₹35 lakh they spent on the wedding so Minakshi could be married again, or they could take her back as their daughter-in-law. But the fight never ended.

Rohit Payla, Nikki’s brother, disputed the claims when they were made. “I don’t want to talk about this.” He said, “These are just accusations.” Another family member said, “Fights happen in every house,” to defend what they did. “At least we didn’t burn the girl,” which has just made things more controversial.

The new information illustrates how deep and intricate dowry disputes are, even among people who swear they are victims of the illegal practice. Bhikhari Singh Payla, Nikki’s father, has defended the dowry system to NDTV in the past by saying, “This is how marriages happen in our clan.” He also said that they did what Nikki’s in-laws asked to “keep peace in her family.”


The police investigation into Nikki’s death is now looking into this new angle, which brings up critical questions about a social structure that is still producing problems and deaths.