PANIPAT: A woman has been arrested in Haryana’s Panipat for allegedly murdering her six-year-old niece during a wedding function, with police claiming she later confessed to killing three other children in separate incidents over the past two years.
The accused, Poonam, is said to have drowned her niece Vidhi in a water tub at a relative’s house in Naultha village, in Panipat’s Israna area, on Monday.
According to investigators, Vidhi, from Sonipat, had come with her family to attend the wedding. When relatives left with the wedding procession, the girl’s disappearance was noticed.
A search was launched, and an hour later, Vidhi was found in a storeroom on the first floor of the house, her head submerged in water.
She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Vidhi’s father lodged a police complaint alleging murder.
During questioning, Poonam reportedly confessed to drowning Vidhi because she did not want the child to “look more beautiful” than her. Investigators allege she targeted young girls due to jealousy.
Police further stated that Poonam admitted to killing four children in total — three girls and her own son — using water tubs or buckets in locations where families had gathered.
In 2023, she allegedly drowned her sister-in-law’s daughter. Later that year, she killed her own son in a similar fashion “to avoid suspicion.” In August this year, she allegedly murdered another girl in Siwah village because the child appeared “prettier.”
Authorities said the previous deaths were initially treated as accidental until Poonam’s statements during her interrogation led investigators to reopen the earlier cases.
A case has been filed regarding Vidhi’s murder, and further investigation is ongoing.
