Monica asked to appear before Bhopal court

By IANS

Bhopal : Monica Bedi, mobster Abu Salem’s companion and former Bollywood starlet who was acquitted last month of all charges in a fake passport case, has been asked to appear before the Bhopal Sessions Court Sep 3 following the prosecution’s review appeal.


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Bedi was acquitted by Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Ajay Shrivastava July 16 of possessing a fake passport and other charges and was later taken to Hyderabad where she was to appear in connection with another case of having a fake passport.

The CJM’s Court had acquitted Bedi of the charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Indian Passport Act on basis of lack of evidence. “The prosecution has not been able to provide concrete evidence,” it said.

Moreover, the prosecution could not produce the fake passport for which she was charged.

The Bhopal police (prosecution) then appealed in the Sessions Court of Judge Renu Sharma against the CJM’s ruling.

“The CJM Court should have taken account of Shiraj’s statement and sentenced Bedi,” the prosecution pleaded before the Sessions Court. Shiraj, an accused in the case, has since turned approver.

Following the prosecution’s appeal, the Sessions Court Wednesday summoned Bedi to appear before it Sep 3.

The Bhopal case dates back to Nov 28, 2001, when the crime branch of police registered a case against Salem, his wife Samira Jumani and Bedi for allegedly having fake passports made at the Regional Passport Office here using the names Danish Baig, Rubina Baig and Fauzia Osman respectively.

Bedi and Salem were arrested in a shopping mall in Lisbon Sep 18, 2002 following an Interpol notice issued at the behest of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The two were extradited to India Nov 11, 2005.

Salem is facing many charges including masterminding the March 1993 terror blasts in Mumbai that killed 257 people.

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