'Matter of grave concern': NCW seeks swift action in Greater Noida dowry killing case
New Delhi (PTI): The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken serious note of reports on the brutal killing of 26-year-old Nikki Bhati, allegedly set ablaze by her husband and in-laws over dowry demands in Greater Noida, and demanded strict action in the matter.
NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar announced that she has contacted the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police, requesting the immediate arrest of all individuals involved in the case, as well as strict action under the relevant laws and a fair, time-bound investigation.
She also sought protection for the victim's family members and witnesses. The DGP has been asked to submit a detailed action taken report within three days.
Noting that the victim's family is traumatised, Rahatkar said she will try to meet them soon, adding that she is in constant touch with the police over how the investigation is progressing.
So far, the police have arrested Nikki's husband, Vipin Bhati, his parents, Satveer and Daya, and his brother Rohit. Vipin, who was initially taken into custody on Saturday, was later shot in the leg during an alleged attempt to escape police custody while being escorted to recover evidence, officials said.
Addressing a press conference, Rahatkar said it was disturbing how "even after 75 years of independence, our daughters are still falling victim to the evil practice of dowry."
She strongly condemned the incident, saying such killings, whether in Noida, Hyderabad or Pune, are "a matter of grave concern" and highlighted the urgent need for society to reflect on its current direction.
Rahatkar emphasised that India has robust laws to prevent dowry and severe provisions under the Dowry Prohibition Act. However, cases like Nikki's death reveal gaps in societal attitudes.
"Despite good laws and their implementation, when such brutal murders take place, it shows that society too needs to introspect. The new forms in which dowry is surfacing must be curbed," she said.
According to the FIR filed at the Kasna Police Station on August 22, Nikki was brutally assaulted before being allegedly doused with a flammable substance and set on fire at her home in Sirsa village.
Videos recorded by her elder sister, Kanchan, who is married to Vipin's brother Rohit, circulated on social media, purportedly showing Nikki being dragged by her hair and later engulfed in flames. Police said that Nikki succumbed to her injuries while being taken to a hospital in Delhi.
The case has been registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder, voluntarily causing hurt, and attempting to commit offences punishable with life imprisonment.
Nikki's family alleged she was subjected to years of harassment and escalating dowry demands since her marriage in 2016. They claimed to have already provided a Scorpio SUV, a motorcycle, and gold jewellery, but her in-laws later demanded Rs 36 lakh in cash and a luxury car.
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Rupee settles 1 paisa higher to close at 94.15 against US dollar
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee settled with gains of just one paisa to close at 94.15 against the US dollar on Monday, as rising global uncertainty, escalating tensions in West Asia and soaring crude oil prices weighed on investor sentiments.
Forex traders said the INR/USD pair pared its initial losses, but the overall bias remains negative as FII sell-off and elevated crude oil prices restricted the gains for the local unit.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 94.25 against the US dollar, and touched an intraday high of 94.11 and a low of 94.28 against the greenback during the day.
At the end of Monday's trading session, the rupee was quoted at 94.15, registering a gain of just 1 paisa over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee extended its losing streak for the fifth day in a row, depreciating 15 paise to close at 94.16 against the US dollar.
"The rupee snapped a five-session losing streak, rebounding in tandem with a rally across regional currencies. However, the mood remains apprehensive as the market braces for a potential RBI intervention around 94.30 and higher crude oil prices," said Dilip Parmar – Senior Research Analyst, HDFC Securities.
On the charts, the USDINR pair has reclaimed its upward momentum, carving out a classic bullish structure of higher highs and lows on the daily time frame, he said, adding that for the coming sessions, 93.80 serves as a support, with 94.40 acting as the primary hurdle.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was down 0.21 per cent at 98.32.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 2.36 per cent at USD 107.82 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 639.42 points to settle at 77,303.63, while the Nifty surged 194.75 points to 24,092.70.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 1,151.48 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.
Meanwhile, India's forex reserves jumped by USD 2.362 billion to USD 703.308 billion during the week ended April 17, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Friday.
In the previous reporting week, the forex kitty had increased by USD 3.825 billion to USD 700.946 billion.
