In the industrial belts of Panipat and Sonipat, Haryana, a chilling narrative has taken root in village whispers. Poonam, a 32-year-old woman with an MA degree, has been transformed in the public eye from an introverted housewife to a feared 'chudail' (witch) within a month. This follows her arrest on December 1 for the alleged murder of her six-year-old niece, Vidhi, which unearthed suspicions around three more child deaths in the family since 2023.
From Quiet Housewife to 'Psycho Killer': The Public Narrative
After Poonam's arrest, police proposed a motive that captured headlines: jealousy driven by a pathological "beauty complex." They alleged she killed the children because she feared their beauty would one day eclipse her own. This theory quickly cemented her public image as a 'psycho killer,' and the 'chudail' lore spread like wildfire, with mothers using her name to scare children into eating their food.
However, this simplistic explanation raises immediate red flags. One of the four children was her own three-year-old son, Shubham. Furthermore, her family in her ancestral village of Siwah, Panipat, vehemently denies any obsession with beauty. Her brother, Sahil (23), points to her stark, simple room with just a small mirror. "She never cared for jewellery or dressing up. She was simple, sober," he insists.
A Timeline of Tragedy: The Four Deaths
The series of alleged crimes spans two districts and several years, with each death initially ruled an accident.
January 2023, Bhawar, Sonipat: Poonam's niece, nine-year-old Ishika, and her own son, three-year-old Shubham, were found drowned in the household water reservoir. The family was devastated but blamed a tragic accident. Ishika's father, Satish, recalls, "We lost our daughter, but she lost her son. How could anyone suspect a mother at that moment?"
August 2025, Siwah, Panipat: Poonam's cousin's six-year-old daughter, Jia, was discovered in a cattle water tank just two feet deep, despite being four feet tall. Her uncle, Surender, says his wife saw Poonam walking towards the shed around 3:30 am that night.
December 1, 2025, Naultha, Sonipat: During a wedding, six-year-old niece Vidhi was found dead with her face in a terrace tub. Poonam was found nearby, soaking wet. This death led to her arrest and the re-examination of the past incidents, revealing a grim pattern: all deaths involved drowning, Poonam was present each time, and, as locals later noted, each occurred on 'Ekadashi,' a lunar fortnight day.
The Hidden Clue: Visits to Tantriks and Odd Behaviour
An aspect potentially overlooked in the police's 'beauty complex' theory is Poonam's documented mental state and her family's response to it. After Shubham's death in 2023, her behaviour grew increasingly erratic. Family members reported clothes catching fire mysteriously and vermilion being mixed in flour.
Instead of psychiatric help, her husband took her to a tantrik in Kairana, Uttar Pradesh. "When she came back, she was a ghost. She was irritable, stopped eating and sleeping. She wasn't my sister anymore," says Sahil. In 2024, after giving birth to another son (also named Shubham), she became more reclusive. The repeated visits to tantriks and the timing of deaths on Ekadashi have fueled speculation about occult influences, a angle police have not publicly pursued.
Legal Scrutiny and Fragile Evidence
Poonam faces three separate FIRs in Sonipat and Panipat. She spent a month in police custody before being moved to Karnal jail. Police sources claim a psychological evaluation found her "fit for statement," and her alleged confession forms the basis of the 'beauty complex' motive, though they admit it applies clearly only to the latest case.
Legal experts highlight the case's fragility. Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa notes it rests on circumstantial evidence and a confession that must be rigorously verified. "The earlier deaths were spread across different times and locations, were not contemporaneously investigated, and there is no forensic or medical corroboration," he explains. The need for objective post-mortem findings and an independent mental health evaluation from institutions like AIIMS Delhi is paramount.
As Poonam receives legal aid from Haryana's District Legal Services Authority, the investigation continues. The case stands at a complex crossroads—between village superstition and criminal procedure, between a sensational motive and a potentially deeper psychological or occult mystery that authorities may have missed.
