Miss Bangalore 1999 and aspiring actress Jyoti Reddy alias Ritu, who was arrested in south Delhi for prostitution, told a Delhi court that a bad patch had led her astray.

She was arrested from a five star hotel in Chanakyapuri on Tuesday.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajan Bhagat contacted Reddy on her mobile phone disguised as a merchant and struck a deal for Rs 15,000.

Inspectors Samay Singh and Ram Pal Singh arrested her as she was collecting an advance of Rs 2,000 from Bhagat.

When she was produced in court on Wednesday, Reddy pleaded with Judge V K Yadav to let her go home.

"I really am sorry for what I have done. I am ashamed of it and will never do it again," she said with folded hands.

Asked why she indulged in such activities, a sobbing Reddy said, "I was going through a bad patch and did not realise what I was doing."

Reddy covered her face throughout the court proceedings. She was granted bail on furnishing surety of Rs 15,000.

Her father is a doctor by profession and her only brother is working in the film industry in Mumbai. She had been working as a model after winning the pageant in 1999 and was trying for a break in films.