Jealousy and murder in Haryana: The ‘beauty complex’ serial child killer

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Fresh investigative details have emerged in the harrowing case of a Haryana woman who confessed to murdering four children, painting a clearer picture of a suspected "beauty complex" that allegedly drove the killings over four years. The accused, Poonam, remains in custody as authorities finalise charges.

The case came to light this week after the murder of her six-year-old niece, Vidhi. This final act, where the child was drowned in a water tub during a wedding celebration, ended a series of killings that began in 2023.

Police sources have now provided a more structured account of the alleged spree, confirming that three of the four victims were young girls Poonam reportedly believed were "more beautiful" than her, as per an NDTV report.

The first victim was Ishika, her sister-in-law's nine-year-old daughter, killed earlier in 2023. Shortly after, investigators believe Poonam murdered her own four-year-old son, Shubham. Law enforcement officials theorise this was a calculated ruse designed to divert suspicion from herself following Ishika's death.

The third victim was eight-year-old Jia, again allegedly targeted for her looks. The fourth was Vidhi, who had survived a prior attack in 2021 when Poonam poured boiling tea on her face — an incident her father, Sandeep, had desperately hoped was an accident.

While the motive for her son's murder remains less clear, the pattern surrounding the girls has solidified the police's theory.

The child's father, Sandeep, reportedly demanded the maximum punishment for his sister-in-law, stating that jealousy and a "beauty complex" had driven her to kill his daughter. He expressed fears for the safety of his surviving son.