A logo of Sunrise Radio, where Geeta used to work

London, Nov. 18 (PTI): An Indian-origin woman has been found murdered in West London with her right hand cut off in a crime that has sent shockwaves in the community and led to the arrest of six men, including her estranged husband.

Geeta Aulakh, 28, a receptionist at Asian radio station Sunrise Radio, had left office on Monday to pick up her two children, aged eight and nine years, from a child-minder’s home at Greenford.

Police said she was attacked just yards from the creche around 7pm. Some passers-by later found her lying unconscious on the street with head injuries and her right hand severed.

They took Geeta to hospital where she died four hours later, just as her mother arrived at her bedside.

The police have arrested her estranged husband, Harpreet Aulakh, 31, and five other men. Harpreet is being questioned.

Geeta, who was described by her family and friends as a “smiling, cheerful and helpful” girl, had separated from Harpreet about a year ago. The couple had filed for divorce.

Britain-born Geeta had married Harpreet against the wishes of her parents, Nardesh, a receptionist, and Lakwinder, a warehouse worker.

The post-mortem report is expected in a couple of days.

Appealing for witnesses, acting detective chief inspector Andy Chalmers said: “When the victim was found, we know that a lot of people were on the street and that several people may have tried to administer first aid before the police or ambulance arrived.

“These people left the scene before speaking to the police and I would ask anyone who was there, or anyone else who has information, to call us.”

Geeta’s mother Nardesh described her daughter as “a wonderful person, never a bad word to say, so lively and beautiful”. “We cannot come to terms with what has happened. We are too upset to speak,” she added.

Avtar Lit, the chairman of Sunrise Radio, said Geeta was “strong-willed and didn’t want an arranged marriage”.

“She fell for this man (Harpreet) when she was very young. Her parents didn’t think he was good enough for her. The couple fled to Sweden where they got married and came back a year later.

“Geeta was very hardworking and was the breadwinner and Harpreet never seemed to have a job. This created quite a few problems in their marriage and they argued a lot,” Lit said.

Lit said Harpreet was not happy when his wife and children left him. “I only found out today that he wanted her back. That was the kind of person Geeta was, she held everything inside.”

Seema Sidha, a colleague with whom Geeta had left office on Monday, said: “We walked together before I caught the train. She said she was going to pick her children up from the child-minder’s place. That is the last time I saw her”.

“That was her normal routine. She would drop her kids off in the morning and pick them up after work. This has been a terrible shock. Why would someone do this to her? She was my friend. I wish I had stayed with her.”

A friend was today quoted by the Daily Mail as saying: “It’s horrific but hugely symbolic that Geeta’s right hand was cut off. She was a Sikh and all Sikhs wear the kara on their right wrist. It is a permanent reminder to live a moral and good life. So her murderer was both dishonouring her and perhaps trying to show she had been dishonourable.”

Geeta grew up in Southall, west London, in a middle-class family with two brothers and two sisters.

A large number of relatives had gathered at the family home last night. “This has been a huge shock and we’re all extremely upset,” a family member said.

Geeta had moved out last year with her two sons, Karan and Tejdeep. They have been taken into temporary care.

Ravi Sharma, a broadcaster of Sunrise, said Geeta, who had been working at the radio station for the last three years, was very popular.