What began as a joyful wedding gathering in Panipat’s Naultha village quickly spiraled into tragedy when six-year-old Vidhi suddenly went missing. As family members searched frantically, the child’s grandmother discovered her unresponsive in a plastic tub of water inside a storeroom. The girl had been drowned, and immediate suspicion turned toward her paternal aunt, Poonam.

Accused Confesses to Serial Murders

Police soon arrested 32-year-old Poonam, who later confessed to a chilling pattern of crimes that spanned nearly four years. Investigators revealed that Poonam had drowned three other children,  including her own son in separate incidents previously dismissed as accidents. All victims were closely related to her, and the deaths had occurred in Sonipat, Panipat, and Siwah villages.

A Disturbing ‘Beauty Complex’

According to investigators, Poonam admitted she specifically targeted young girls whom she perceived as “more beautiful” than herself. Police believe jealousy and insecurity fuelled her violent impulses, with officers describing her mindset as psychopathic. Poonam allegedly told police that seeing a “pretty girl” triggered resentment, leading her to kill before the child could “grow up to be more beautiful” than her.

Timeline of the Crimes

Her first murder was in 2023, when she drowned her sister-in-law’s nine-year-old daughter, Ishika, in a water tank. Fearing suspicion might fall on her, Poonam later drowned her three-year-old son, Shubham, in an attempt to create confusion.

In August this year, she killed eight-year-old Jia, her cousin’s daughter, in Sewah village. Vidhi, whom she had previously scalded with boiling tea in 2021, became her fourth and final victim.

Family Demands Death Penalty

Vidhi’s father, Sandeep, devastated by the revelations, demanded the death penalty, saying he had long harbored doubts about Poonam but felt pressured by relatives to ignore them. Police continue probing earlier incidents, and authorities have ruled out any ritualistic motive behind the killings. “I had my doubts about her, but my family always dismissed my concerns,” he said.

“Poonam had a beauty complex and, out of jealousy, she killed my daughter. She should face the death penalty. We don’t know how many children might have been killed if she hadn’t been caught. Now, she might even attack my son,” he added.

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