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Nine months after the death of 28-year-old resident of Uttar Pradesh's Noida, Nikki Bhati, sent shockwaves across the country, the case has taken a series of dramatic turns - from a family settlement and a key witness, victim's own sister, turning hostile to conflicting claims over who was present at the scene.

Nikki Bhati death was was alleged to be a dowry-related murder case (Instagram and X)Nikki Bhati died of severe burn injuries in Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on August 21 last year, allegedly after her husband Vipin Bhati and his mother Daya Bhati poured an inflammable liquid on her and set her ablaze in their Greater Noida house, according to a police complaint filed by Nikki's sister Kanchan.

Disturbing videos purportedly showing tense moments before Nikki Bhati was in flames also surfaced after the incident, triggering outrage among the public and calls for justice.

Now, nine months after the demise of Nikki Bhati, her family has reportedly reached a settlement with the in-laws accused in the dowry death case, while her sister, who earlier was a key witness, turned hostile and backtracked from her earlier claims.

In the biggest twist yet, Nikki's family has reached a settlement with the in-laws accused in the dowry death case. Nikki's father Bhikari Singh confirmed the compromise on Wednesday and said the accused family agreed to transfer property to Nikki's son, HT earlier reported.

"Yes, we have reached a settlement. They have transferred the properties to Nikki's son," the earlier report quoted the father as saying.

Counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government said the latest twist come after Nikki's sister Kanchan - considered the prime witness in the murder case - turned hostile before a local court in Noida around 20 days ago. The next hearing is scheduled on June 10.

Kanchan was initially central to the investigation. In her police complaint, she alleged that Nikki's husband Vipin Bhati and mother-in-law Daya Bhati set Nikki on fire while her husband Rohit Bhati and father-in-law Satveer watched. She had further alleged that she was beaten when she tried to intervene.

However, in her latest statement before the court, Kanchan reportedly changed her version.

"Kanchan told the court that no one was inside the house when the incident took place. Nikki's husband Vipin, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law were outside. So far, only her statement has been recorded," the counsel, who asked not to be named, was quoted as saying.

Another significant development in the case is linked to Kanchan's future with the same family she once accused in court documents. Kanchan, who was living with her parents in Roopvas village after the incident, is now set to move in with her husband in a new house in Dadri, according to Nikki's father.

"There will be no interference from her in-laws in Kanchan's married life," Singh said.

The changing statements in court have now affected the prosecution's position in the case.

"We will continue to fight the case, but when the prime victim turns hostile, it weakens the case," the government counsel added.

Meanwhile, Vipin's advocate Amit Bhati confirmed that Kanchan had recorded her statement before the court and said the defence would seek bail soon.

"We are fighting the case on merit. Based on the evidence, we will file a bail application for Vipin in the high court within a week," he said.

So far, Rohit was granted bail on January 7 this year, followed by Satveer on January 28 and Daya on February 13. Vipin remains lodged in Luksar prison.

A police officer involved in the investigation also said the police were not informed about the compromise between the two families.

"They (Nikki's family) did not provide anything in writing to the police regarding their compromise. We filed a chargesheet based on their allegations, and now the case is between the court and the families," said the officer, who asked not to be named.

Noida police filed an FIR on August 22 and said investigations revealed that Vipin and the in-laws were against Nikki's plan to reopen a salon she used to run. They were also reportedly angered by her social media activity, especially on Instagram, which she used to promote the salon.

Vipin was arrested after a gunfight on August 24 while his mother was arrested the same evening. Satveer and Rohit were held the next day. Investigators later filed a 173-page chargesheet accusing all four of murder.

However, the chargesheet also stated that after scanning CCTV footage, investigators found that father-in-law Satveer and mother-in-law Daya were not at home when the incident took place. Police also found Rohit's mobile location near the Sirsa toll plaza.