Sonu Punjaban

2021-07-12T16:09:40Z

2405:204:A0A6:EC28:461:4886:D38D:1FCB: By knoledge

{{short description|Indian convicted sex trafficker}}
{{Orphan|date=November 2020}}

'''Geeta Arora''' also known as '''Sonu Punjaban''' is an Indian convicted age trafficker who was sentenced to 24 years of imprisonment for trafficking a minor girl.<ref>{{Cite news|others=PTI|date=2020-07-23|title=Sonu Punjaban gets 24 years imprisonment for immoral trafficking|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sonu-punjaban-gets-24-years-imprisonment-for-immoral-trafficking/article32169239.ece|access-date=2020-07-27|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-22|title=Sex racketeer Sonu Punjaban jailed for 24 years by Delhi court for forcing 12-year-old into prostitution|url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/sex-racketeer-sonu-punjaban-jailed-for-24-years-by-delhi-court-for-forcing-12-year-old-into-prostitution-2297570.html|access-date=2020-07-27|website=Zee News|language=en}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Sonu married gangster Vijay Singh in 2003 who was encountered by Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force soon after their marriage.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|date=July 22, 2020|title=Sonu Punjaban: Rise and fall of notorious flesh trader who exposed Delhi’s dark side|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sonu-punjaban-rise-and-fall-of-notorious-flesh-trader-who-exposed-delhi-s-dark-side-1703371-2020-07-22|access-date=2020-07-27|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref> Then she got involved with Deepak who also encountered by the police in Assam.<ref name=":1" /> She then married Deepak's brother [[Hemant Sonu]] who was also killed in police encounter in April 2006.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2020-07-23|title=Who is Geeta Arora aka Sonu Punjaban?|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/who-is/who-is-sonu-punjaban-6519888/|access-date=2020-07-27|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

Sonu was arrested in 2007 under the sections of [[Immoral Traffic Prevention Act]] but soon got bail and she was arrested once again 2008 for the same offense.<ref name=":0" /> She was again arrested under [[Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act]] in 2011. She was finally arrested in 2017 and has been in [[Tihar Jail]] since then.

== 2020 conviction ==
On 16 July 2020, Sonu was convicted under [[Child sexual abuse laws in India|Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act]] for forcefully administering drugs to a minor girl so that she could be sexually exploited. The minor girl had given her statement to the police on 9 February 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Woman Sent To 24 Years In Jail In Human Trafficking Case In Delhi|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/woman-sonu-punjaban-sent-to-24-years-in-jail-in-human-trafficking-case-in-delhi-2267236|access-date=2020-07-27|website=NDTV.com}}</ref> Additionally, the court sentenced co-accused Sandeep Bedwal to 20 years of imprisonment.<ref name=":0" />

Sonu attempted suicide while still in Tihar Jail, hours after she was convicted. She was hospitalized in [[Deen Dayal Upadhayay Hospital]] and was shifted back to the jail when her condition stabilized.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-19|title=Sonu Punjaban overdoses in Tihar Jail after conviction|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/sonu-punjaban-overdoses-in-tihar-jail-after-conviction/story-5waQwVIbQzSyS9fZyp9sNN.html|access-date=2020-07-27|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Punjaban, Sonu}}
[[Category:Criminals from Haryana]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

{{India-bio-stub}}

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Sonu Punjaban