The court on July 16 convicted Sonu Punjaban in the case. (Representational)
A Delhi court has 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 a civilized society and deserves the severest punishment.
Additional Sessions Judge Pritam Singh also imposed a fine of Rs 64,000 on her. The court also sentenced another accused Sandeep Bedwal to 20 years imprisonment in the case and asked him to pay a fine of Rs 65,000.
The court noted that due to offences committed against the girl, her education as well as her childhood was made hell and recommended a compensation of Rs 7 lakh to the girl and directed the Delhi Legal Service Authority to do the needful.
"She (the accused) forcibly administered drugs to the girl so that she could not resist a customer (man), who would sexually exploit her. She applied chilly powder on the breast of the girl 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 girl for prostitution but she also brutalised her to make her surrender to her demands.
"The modesty of a woman is next to her soul. How a woman can outrage and brutalise 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 survivors of sexual offences not only faces mental and physical trauma but is also subjected to social stigma and in most of the cases they have to change their residence which also causes financial losses to the girl or her family.
The court on July 16 convicted Sonu Punjaban in connection with kidnapping, prostitution and human trafficking and another accused Sandeep Bedwal under the charge of raping a girl.
According to the police, the girl became friends with Sandeep Bedwal, who took her to a house in Laxmi Nagar on the pretext of marriage and raped her in September 2009. He sold the girl, who was 12-years-old at the time, to a woman named Seema.
Seema forced the girl into prostitution and gave her drugs injection, the police said based on the statement of the 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, the police said.
The girl had come to Najafgarh police station on February 9, 2014, and after counselling, her statement was recorded by the police, where she narrated the incidents.