Woman arrested for killing niece over ‘beauty envy’, admits to murders of four children

By Sumesh Rajan | December 4, 2025

Panipat, Haryana, INDIA: A day of celebration turned into a nightmare in Haryana’s Panipat district after a six-year-old girl was found murdered during a family wedding function. What appeared at first to be a tragic accident was soon revealed to be a series of cold-blooded killings allegedly committed by a member of the child’s own family—driven, police say, by an obsessive jealousy of young girls she believed were “more beautiful” than her.

Six-Year-Old Vidhi Found Dead in Storeroom

The victim, Vidhi, a resident of Sonipat, had travelled with her parents, grandparents, and infant brother to Naultha village in Panipat’s Israna area to attend a wedding on Monday December 1 afternoon. Around 1.30 pm, as the wedding procession gathered outside the host family’s home, the child went missing.

The family immediately launched a search. Nearly an hour later, Vidhi’s grandmother, Omwati, checked a storeroom on the first floor. The door was bolted from the outside. When she unlatched it, she discovered a horrifying sight—Vidhi lay lifeless, her head submerged in a plastic tub filled with water while her feet were still touching the floor.

Vidhi was rushed to NC Medical College, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. Her grandfather, Pal Singh, later registered an FIR alleging that she had been murdered, not accidentally drowned.

Paternal Aunt Arrested; Confession Reveals Chilling Motive

Police soon zeroed in on Vidhi’s paternal aunt, 28-year-old Poonam, a resident of Naultha. According to investigators, her behaviour earlier in the day raised suspicions. Upon interrogation, Poonam allegedly confessed to following the child upstairs, engaging her in conversation, and coaxing her into the water tub in the storeroom. She then forcibly held Vidhi’s head underwater, bolted the door from outside, and walked downstairs as if nothing had happened.

The motive, police claim, is rooted in a disturbing psychological insecurity: Poonam allegedly could not tolerate young girls in the family receiving compliments or being considered “prettier” than her.

Disturbing Pattern of Serial Child Murders

In a revelation that has shocked both investigators and the community, Poonam reportedly admitted to killing three other children, all by drowning and all within her extended family.

According to police: In 2023, she drowned her sister-in-law’s nine-year-old daughter, Ishika, in a water tank. Later the same year, fearing the family might suspect her in Ishika’s death, she drowned her own three-year-old son, Shubham, to divert suspicion. In August 2024, she murdered her cousin’s six-year-old daughter, Jia, in Siwah village using the same method.

In each instance, the deaths were presumed accidental. No foul play had been initially suspected, and the cases were closed as household tragedies.

It was only during the investigation into Vidhi’s death that Poonam allegedly confessed, exposing a pattern of serial killings driven by deep-seated jealousy and resentment.

Police Reopen Previous Cases; Community in Shock

Panipat Police said they are now reopening all earlier cases connected to the accused to verify her statements, gather corroborating evidence, and determine whether anyone else may have noticed patterns of suspicious behaviour in the past.

The gruesome revelations have left the family and the village community stunned. What began as a day meant for celebration has now turned into a crime scene haunted by unanswered questions and unimaginable betrayal.

Authorities have described the case as one of the most disturbing child-murder investigations in recent years, with officers drawing comparisons to fictional characters like the Evil Queen from Snow White—except this horror unfolded inside a real family, with real victims.