Nikki Bhati murder: Relief for father-in-law as HC grants bail to second accused in case

Noida: The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to a second accused in the Nikki Bhati murder case. Nikki (28) was allegedly burnt to death on Aug 21 last year at her home in Kasna, with police naming her husband Vipin, father-in-law Satvir, mother-in-law Daya and brother-in-law Rohit as accused. Police investigation indicated that the woman was pinned down and doused in an inflammable thinner before she was set ablaze by the accused.
A 500-page chargesheet filed in Nov last year stated the four had "meticulously planned" the assault. It said the accused coordinated their movements, staged appearances before CCTV cameras to create alibis, and later attempted to portray the incident as an accidental fire.On Wednesday, Justice Krishan Pahal granted bail to Satvir, citing parity with co-accused Rohit, who was granted bail on Jan 5. Satvir, arrested on Aug 25, has been in jail since. Granting relief, the court said it was doing so without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case. He, and the three other accused in the case, are facing charges under BNS sections 103(1) (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy). In Dec, a sessions court had denied bail to Satvir, observing the accusations against him were "grave" and that his role in the alleged conspiracy could not be discounted at that stage. Earlier in Sept, a chief judicial magistrate rejected bail applications of all 4 accused. After Rohit was granted bail, Satvir approached the High Court for a third attempt at bail.Arguing for bail in the high court, senior advocate Gaurav Kakkar, assisted by advocate Anupam Dubey, told the court the applicant has no criminal history but was in jail since Aug 2025. They also pointed out that charges against Satvir were identical to that of Rohit, who was granted bail by the same court.Taking note of the submissions, the court ordered Satvir's release on a personal bond with two sureties, subject to trial court approval. It barred him from tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses and directed him to appear on all hearing dates, warning that any breach could lead to cancellation of bail. Advocate Amit Bhati ‘Bodaki', local counsel for Vipin and his family, told TOI that they will now move the court for Daya's bail application.