Sonu Punjaban sentenced to 24 years imprisonment in prostitution, human trafficking case

A Delhi court on Wednesday sentenced Geeta Arora alias Sonu Punjaban to 24 years in prison in connection with a prostitution and human trafficking case observing that she has no right to live in civilized society and deserves the severest punishment.

Additional Sessions Judge Pritam Singh also slapped a fine of Rs 64,000 on her. The court also sentenced another accused Sandeep Bedwal to 20 years imprisonment and asked him to pay a fine of Rs 65,000 as well.

The court noted that due to offences committed against the victim, her education as well as her childhood was made hell and recommended a compensation of Rs 7 lakh to the victim and directed the Delhi Legal Service Authority to do the needful.

"She (punjaban) forcibly administered drugs to the victim so that she could not resist a customer (man), who would sexually exploit her. She applied chilly powder on the breast of the victim and also put it into her mouth in order to create fear in her mind that she should act as per her wishes otherwise be ready to face brutality," the court observed in its order.

The court noted that the convict Sonu Punjaban not only purchased the victim for prostitution but she also brutalized her to make her surrender to her demands.

"The modesty of a woman is next to her soul. How a woman can outrage and brutalize the modesty of another woman, who is minor, in such a horrific way. The shameful deeds of convict Sonu Punjaban deprives her of any leniency from the courts. A person, irrespective of gender, who does such horrific and terrible acts, has no right to live in a civilized society and for her best place to live is in the four boundaries of the jail," the order said.

"At this tender age girls not only go to school but they enjoy their childhood while playing with their friends and enjoy the protection of their parents, however, the victim had suffered physical and mental trauma at the hands of both the convicts and their associates," it added.

The court observed that it is well known that the victim of sexual offences not only faces mental and physical trauma but also subjected to social stigma and in most of the cases they have to change their residence which also causes financial losses to the victim or her family.

The court had on July 16 convicted Sonu Punjaban in connection with a kidnapping, prostitution and human trafficking case and another accused Sandeep Bedwal under the charge of raping a minor girl.

According to the police, the girl fell in love with Sandeep, who took her to a house in Laxmi Nagar on the pretext of marriage and raped her in September 2009. He sold the victim, who was 12 years old at the time, to one Seema Aunty.

Seema Aunty forced the victim into prostitution and gave her drugs injection, police said based on the statement of the minor girl and added that she was sold several times and once to convict Sonu Punjaban.

Sonu Punjaban used her for prostitution and before sending her to customers also administered drugs such as proxyvon and alprex tablets and also injected drugs to the victim so that the body of the victim became tight and more suitable for prostitution, the police said.

The victim had come to Najafgarh police station on February 9, 2014, and after counselling, her statement was recorded by the police, wherein she narrated her ordeal.

( With inputs from ANI )