Aunt held for drowning niece who ‘looked prettier than her'

A woman has been arrested for allegedly murdering her six-year-old niece during a wedding function in Haryana’s Panipat, with police claiming she later confessed to killing three other children in separate incidents over the past two years.

The accused, identified as Poonam, allegedly drowned her niece Vidhi in a water tub at a relative’s house in Naultha village in Panipat’s Israna area on Monday, police said on Wednesday, an NDTV report said.

According to investigators, Vidhi, who lived in Sonipat, had come with her family to attend a wedding. Around 1.30 pm on Monday, when relatives left with the wedding procession, Vidhi’s disappearance was noticed. A search was launched and an hour later, the girl was found in a storeroom on the first floor of a relative’s home with her head submerged in water.

She was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Her father lodged a police complaint alleging murder.

Pattern of similar killings

During questioning, police said Poonam confessed to drowning Vidhi because she did not want the child to “look more beautiful” than her. Investigators allege she targeted young girls out of jealousy.

Police added that Poonam admitted to a pattern of similar killings. She allegedly confessed to drowning four children in total — three girls and her own son — all using water tubs or buckets in locations where families had gathered.

In 2023, police said, she allegedly drowned her sister-in-law’s daughter. The same year, she allegedly killed her son in similar fashion “to avoid suspicion.” In August this year, she allegedly murdered another girl in Siwah village because the child looked “prettier.”

Police said previous deaths were initially treated as accidental until Poonam’s statements during interrogation in the current case prompted investigators to reopen closed files.

A case has been registered in the Vidhi murder and further investigation is underway, police said.