Noida, 28 Aug

Suspected dowry victim Nikki Bhati died due to burns in a gas cylinder explosion at home, officials said on Thursday, citing statements of doctors and nurses of the private hospital where she was first admitted.

According to a memo from the hospital where Bhati was taken to on 21 August, she had "suffered severe burns in a gas cylinder explosion at home" and was brought there in a critical condition by a cousin of her husband, Vipin Bhati.

"The statement of the doctors and nurses who were present at the time of her admission has been recorded. Nikki told them that she sustained burn injuries due to a blast in a gas cylinder," a police official said.

The police said they are probing all aspects of the case and collecting statements before taking further action. An inflammable liquid recovered from Nikki's room has been sent for forensic analysis.

Investigators are also examining several video clips circulating in the public domain in connection with the incident.

The new details emerge amid earlier allegations that Nikki was set on fire by her husband and in-laws over dowry demands.

The 26-year-old died on 22 August, a day after she was admitted to the hospital with severe burns. All four accused — husband Vipin, father Satyaveer, mother Daya, and brother-in-law Rohit — have since been arrested.

The FIR in Nikki's case has been registered under sections 103(1) (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 61(2) (attempt to commit offences punishable with life imprisonment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Meanwhile, the family members of Nikki met with a member of the Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Women on Wednesday and demanded a fast-track court trial in the case.