Panipat: A wedding celebration turned into a horrific incident in Naultha after police uncovered a shocking murder case involving four children.
A six-year-old girl, who had visited Panipat for a family wedding, went missing shortly after the wedding procession started on Monday afternoon. Her family launched a search immediately after receiving the missing alert.
About one hour later, her grandmother found the child in a first-floor storeroom of a relative’s house. The storeroom door was locked from the outside. When the door was opened, the child was found inside a water tub, with her head submerged and her feet touching the ground.
Family members rushed her to NC Medical College, where doctors declared her dead. Her father later filed a First Information Report (FIR) accusing Poonam of murder.
Authorities arrested a woman, identified as Poonam, on Wednesday following the death of her six-year-old niece.
Earlier Deaths Reinvestigated After Confession
During questioning by the Haryana Police, Poonam admitted to killing three more children in past incidents. Her statement led officers to reopen earlier cases for investigation.
According to police, the victims included her own young son, killed in 2023, her sister-in-law’s daughter, also killed in 2023, and another child, drowned in August 2025 in Siwah.
Police confirmed that all the deaths followed a similar pattern; the children were drowned using the same method.
Earlier, authorities had classified these cases as accidents or unverified deaths, but now investigators have restarted the inquiries based on the confession.
The Reason Behind the Murders Has Shocked the Nation
According to reports, Poonam felt intense jealousy when people praised the appearance of a child around her.
Police stated that she wanted to be the only person ever complimented for beauty in her surroundings, and she could not tolerate anyone, including children, being called “more beautiful than her.”
Authorities confirmed that Poonam mainly targeted young girls who received compliments for their looks.
To mislead suspicion, she later drowned her own son using the same method, police added.
Legal Action Underway
Police have registered a criminal case, and the matter is currently under investigation.
Officials said that they are collecting evidence, examining witness statements, and verifying records related to the deaths.
