Nine months after the death of 28-year-old Nikki Bhati in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida triggered nationwide outrage, the case has witnessed several major developments, including a settlement between the victim’s family and the accused in-laws and the prime witness changing her statement in court, reports TOI.Nikki Bhati died of severe burn injuries at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on August 21 last year. Her sister Kanchan had alleged in a police complaint that Nikki’s husband Vipin Bhati and mother-in-law Daya Bhati poured an inflammable liquid on her and set her on fire at their house in Sirsa village in Kasna.Nikki’s father Bhikari Singh confirmed on Wednesday that a compromise had been reached between the two families after property transfers were agreed upon for the children.Under the settlement, property linked to Nikki’s husband Vipin Bhati has been transferred to Nikki’s seven-year-old son, while property belonging to Vipin’s brother Rohit Bhati has been transferred to the son of Rohit and Kanchan Bhati. Kanchan is Nikki’s sister and is married into the same family.According to the agreement, the transferred properties will legally come into effect once the children turn 18.Case drew attention after allegations of abuseThe case had attracted widespread attention after allegations of prolonged abuse and violence within the family surfaced following Nikki’s death. Videos purportedly showing tense moments before the incident also circulated on social media, leading to public outrage and demands for justice.An FIR was registered against Nikki’s husband Vipin, father-in-law Satveer, mother-in-law Daya and brother-in-law Rohit under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to murder, causing hurt and criminal conspiracy.All four accused were arrested, although only Vipin remains lodged in Luksar jail. The remaining accused are currently out on bail.Police had stated during the investigation that the accused family opposed Nikki’s plan to reopen her salon and were reportedly unhappy with her Instagram activity, which she used to promote the business.Prime witness changes statement in courtA major turn in the case came after Kanchan, who was considered the prime witness, reportedly turned hostile before a local court in Noida around 20 days ago. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for June 10.In her original complaint, Kanchan alleged that Vipin Bhati and Daya Bhati had set Nikki on fire while Rohit Bhati and Satveer watched. She had also claimed that she was assaulted when she tried to intervene.However, in her recent court statement, Kanchan reportedly said no one was inside the house when the incident occurred and claimed that Nikki’s husband and in-laws were outside at the time.Government counsel handling the case said only Kanchan’s statement has been recorded so far.Settlement linked to children’s futureNikki’s brother Atul Payla said the compromise was reached after months of discussions, keeping the children’s future in mind.Following the incident, Kanchan had moved to her parental home in Roopwas village in Dadri with her children and Nikki’s son. According to Nikki’s father, Kanchan is now set to move into a new house in Dadri with her husband.“There will be no interference from her in-laws in Kanchan’s married life,” Singh said.Nikki’s son will continue to stay with his maternal grandparents in Roopwas.Trial to continue despite compromiseLegal experts said the criminal case cannot be withdrawn because the charges are non-compoundable. The trial will continue based on available evidence and witness testimony.Prosecuting counsel Udham Singh Tongad said the compromise was worked out through lawyers and confirmed that the trial remains pending.The counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government said the prosecution’s case had weakened after the prime witness changed her statement.“We will continue to fight the case, but when the prime witness turns hostile, it weakens the case,” the counsel said.Meanwhile, Vipin Bhati’s lawyer Amit Bhati said the defence would soon move the high court seeking bail for his client.“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.Rohit Bhati was granted bail on January 7 this year, followed by Satveer on January 28 and Daya on February 13.Police say no information on compromise was sharedA police officer associated with the investigation said the police had not been formally informed about the settlement between the two families.“They 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,” the officer said.Police filed the FIR on August 22 and later submitted a 173-page chargesheet accusing all four family members of murder.However, the chargesheet also noted that CCTV footage analysis suggested Satveer and Daya were not present at home during the incident. Investigators also found Rohit Bhati’s mobile phone location near the Sirsa toll plaza at the time.