The Delhi Police have arrested a 62-year-old woman who is considered to be the ‘godmother of crime’ in South Delhi’s Sangam Vihar, the Hindustan Times reported on Sunday. Basiran, who allegedly ran her “criminal empire” with her eight sons, was taken into custody on Friday.

According to the police, at least 113 cases, including murder, contract killing, extortion, kidnapping for ransom, bootlegging and robbery, are registered against Basiran and her family members. She faces nine cases at the Sangam Vihar police station alone.

The police said Basiran has been absconding for eight months after a case was filed against her in connection with the contract killing of 21-year-old Miraj in 2017. “Her two sons are already in jail in the contract killing case,” said a police officer who was part of the team that arrested Basiran.

Miraj’s semi-decomposed body with ligature marks was found in Sangam Vihar’s K-block jungle in September 2017. The case was solved in January when the police detained a minor boy who disclosed that it was a contract killing executed by Basiran’s hitmen.

Basiran was arrested when she returned to Sangam Vihar on Friday upon hearing that her house was being auctioned. The police had reportedly spread the rumour.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Romil Baaniya said Basiran ran a water supply mafia in Sangam Vihar before absconding, reported The Indian Express. Her sons – Shamim alias Gunga (31), Faizal (23) and Rahul Khan (22) – have also been arrested while other family members are either out on bail or on the run.

“Shamim is already booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act for running a crime syndicate,” said Baaniya. “Basiran, too, will be booked under the same Act to ensure she cannot get bail.”

Basiran told police officers during the interrogation that she had been hiding in houses of relatives in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Allahabad and other places in Uttar Pradesh.