NEW DELHI: Notorious criminal Geeta Arora, alias Sonu Punjaban, infamous for running high-class prostitution racket and trafficking of minor girls, has been arrested by Delhi Police after a six-month-long chase.
“Sonu Punjaban was arrested on Saturday after she was interrogated by team heading by ACP Sandeep Lamba in Cyber Cell office of the Crime Branch,” said a senior police officer.
She was arrested from a secret hideout on the basis of information from a 16-year-old girl, a victim of trafficking and forced prostitution.
“The minor victim was kidnapped in year 2009, when she was 12 years old. The victim came to Najafgarh police station by herself in 2014 and complained against Sonu Punjaban and her pimps,” the officer said.
After realising that no action was being taken against Punjaban, the minor went into hiding, fearing for her life.
“The victim went missing again since then. The case was handed over to ACP Lamba and the girl traced in November,” the officer said.
The girl claimed that she was kidnapped by Punjaban and introduced into “immoral” trafficking, sale, rape and torture for prostitution by pimps.
Punjaban’s network extended to many places across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
It took Delhi Police Crime Branch over six months to trace her. She was finally arrested from her hideout in Delhi.
After serving a notice to join the investigation, she later confessed her crime and was arrested.
A case under sections of rape, kidnap and Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act or POCSO has been registered against Punjaban.
She’s also involved in five other cases including cases under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, POSCO, murder and other crimes in Delhi and Haryana belt.
With IANS inputs