NEW
DELHI: She is only 26, but Geeta Arora alias Sonu Punjaban, is already a
well-known face for the Delhi Police. The alleged kingpin of one of the biggest
sex rackets in NCR, Punjaban's clients included high-profile businessmen, while
her employees comprised of "aspiring models and actresses".
Punjaban,
who's association with crime began over 12 years ago, has had a colourful albeit
'unlucky' life. In fact, most people who've given her shelter have ended up
dead, including two husbands.
"She was fascinated by criminals and
was associated with them for the last 12 years. Her first husband from the
underworld was Vijay Singh, an extortionist from Uttar Pradesh who belonged to
the Sriprakash Shukla gang. He was killed by the Special Task Force of UP police
in an encounter," said a senior police officer.
That was the
beginning. Geeta soon got close to Najafgarh's Deepak who brought her to the
Capital. However, Deepak too was gunned down by the police in Assam in 2003.
Unperturbed, she married Hemant, elder brother of Deepak. "By then, Hemant was
already under the police scanner for a double murder in the city. Hemant also
got her a posh residence in south Delhi, which he had allegedly acquired by
force. Hemant, along with two other gangsters, was killed in a shootout in
Gurgaon in 2006,'' said a police source.
A desperate Geeta then
sought refuge with Ashok Bunty from the original gang. He too was gunned down
within a month in Dilshad Garden.
Punjaban, say Special Staff
officials, continued running the racket. "It was her unique modus operandi which
made it difficult to nab her. Not only did she stay away from girls to avoid
detection, she employed a number of pimps for logistics. She kept a check on
them while travelling in her car, but didn't appear before her clients before
checking their credentials. She relied on old clients to strike new deals,''
said H G S Dhaliwal, DCP (south).
According to sources, some of the
girls employed by her were school dropouts. "She changed their look and style of
interacting with clients. The girls were paid Rs 60,000 per month on contract.
She would charge Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 for each night," a senior police officer
told Times City.
Her henchmen escorted the girls to Kolkata, Mumbai,
Rajasthan and Punjab. She also picked up "educated'' wannabe models from other
areas.
"She maintained at least five houses at any given time and
often switched addresses to avoid being detected,'' said DCP Dhaliwal.