India, Aug. 25 -- After 28-year-old Nikki Bhati's horrific murder allegedly by her husband and in-laws, dowry as a fatal flaw in society has made headlines again. Nikki's father, Bhikari Singh Payla, cited "traditions" and "social norms" to explain why he agreed to dowry at the time of marriage, and why his daughter had to keep going back to the violent household despite frequent disputes.

Nikki Bhati's family has said they gave "gifts" such as an SUV, then a motorcycle, and gold to her husband Vipin Bhati at the time of marriage in 2016, but Vipin and the in-laws wanted more and kept torturing her, more recently over her social media activity and desire to reopen and beauty parlour.

And Nikki was not the only one - her sister Kanchan w...