What began as a day of celebration in a Haryana village turned into a harrowing tragedy when a six-year-old girl was found dead under mysterious circumstances. The incident occurred in Naultha village of Panipat’s Israna area, where relatives had gathered for a wedding. By the end of the day, police uncovered a chilling truth: the child had been murdered by her own aunt, a woman already suspected of killing multiple children in the past.
According to the police, the accused woman, Poonam, allegedly drowned her niece Vidhi in a water tub on Monday afternoon. The family had travelled from Sonipat to attend a wedding, and the home was filled with relatives, rituals and music when the girl suddenly vanished. For nearly an hour, the family searched frantically until Vidhi’s grandmother discovered her lifeless body in a storeroom on the first floor. The door had been bolted from outside, raising immediate suspicion.
When Omwati, the grandmother, entered the room, she found the child with her head submerged in a bucket-like water tub, her feet still touching the ground — a position that indicated deliberate force. Vidhi was rushed to the NC Medical College hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
Police say the motive behind the crime is as disturbing as the act itself. Preliminary questioning has revealed that Poonam harbored resentment and envy toward children she perceived as “more beautiful” than herself. Investigators claim that this is not her first crime. She is suspected of killing three children earlier, including her own son in 2023, using the same method of drowning. These earlier deaths, once believed to be tragic accidents, are now being re-examined.
On the day of the incident, Vidhi had left with her family’s wedding procession around 1:30 pm, but soon her father received a call stating she was missing. The joyous wedding atmosphere shattered instantly as relatives scrambled to find the child. What they discovered an hour later was beyond anyone’s imagination.
Vidhi’s father later filed a First Information Report, alleging murder and naming Poonam as the prime suspect. Police arrested her soon after and are now investigating whether psychological disorders, unresolved personal grievances or deeper criminal tendencies were at play.
The case has sent shockwaves through the region, not just for the brutality of the act but for the pattern it suggests — a series of child killings carried out within the family itself. Authorities are now expanding their probe to examine previous unexplained child deaths linked to the accused.
As the community grapples with grief and disbelief, the incident stands as a reminder of the hidden dangers that can lurk even within trusted circles — and the urgent need for vigilance, mental health awareness, and thorough investigation of suspicious deaths, especially involving children.
