NEW DELHI: The South District police has claimed to have busted a thriving sex racket and arrested four alleged sex workers and 10 pimps along with the alleged kingpin, Geeta Arora (26) alias Sonu Punjaban.

Geeta, wife of Hemant alias Sonu, a gangster who was killed in a shootout in April 2006, is a resident of Geeta Colony, according to official records. In fact, according to police sources, her earlier husbands Vijay, a gangster from Rohtak, was also killed in a shootout with the police.

A case under Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act has been registered at Saket police station. Geeta has been involved in a similar case earlier and was arrested from Preet Vihar in east Delhi on August 31 last year.

According to H G S Dhaliwal, DCP (south), a team under the supervision of ACP Mehar Singh were present at D-Block in Saket in south Delhi on another assignment when information was received from a source that Punjaban was running a sex racket in various posh localities in Delhi. The source informed that Punjaban, along with some sex workers and pimps, would be present to lure customers near PVR Saket on Thursday night. Police set up a trap to nab the pimps. "Our staff reached the spot in plain clothes. SI Praveen Kumar was sent as a decoy customer along with Rs 1,000 and ASI Virender was also sent as a shadow witness,'' said DCP Dhaliwal.

On reaching the spot around 12.30pm, the police found that two alleged sex workers along with three pimps were trying to lure customers in the PVR parking area. "Three other pimps and two sex workers were trying to lure customers in front of PVR cinemas. Punjaban, along with four men, was found sitting in a suspicious manner inside a Santro Car. SI Praveen Kumar gave us a signal as soon as the deal "was set'' after which the four sex workers, the kingpin and pimps were overpowered and apprehended. SI Praveen informed that the pimp whom he approached had agreed to provide a sex worker for Rs 5,000 as token money. He also informed him that all the other sex workers also charged similar amounts,'' said DCP Dhaliwal. Sources in the police said the major share was kept by Punjaban herself.

On sustained interrogation, Sonu Punjaban disclosed that she was married to notorious criminal Hemant, who was killed in a shootout two years ago. She decided to enter the flesh trade to support her lavish lifestyle. "Initially, she worked alone, but later, as more `high-profile' clients were added to her list, she formed a group of aspiring models and actresses who would often get trapped in her net. She also hired a large number of pimps for transportation and logistics and kept at least five houses at any given time in east and south Delhi to entertain her clients. Most of the transactions carried out by her were done through personal references,'' said an investigating officer.

According to police sources, Punjabi used to source aspiring models and sex workers from different states. Those girls arrested on Thursday night come from Delhi, Rajasthan and West Bengal. Most of them, claimed sources, are well educated. "But her clientele came from different states and mainly consisted of old and regular customers whom she knew well,'' added another officer.
Further investigation is in progress in this regard.