In a major relief to yesteryears film actress Monica Bedi, Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday upheld an earlier verdict of Bhopal district court which had exonerated the actress in the fake passport case.
The actress who had an affair with now jailed underworld don Abu Salem had allegedly procured her passport from Bhopal.
After being extradited from Portugal, the actress was tried at Bhopal district court on charges of forgery i.e. getting her passport prepared under and assumed identity Fauzia Usman.
In the year 2007, the Bhopal Court had exculpated Bedi upon not finding evidences against her in the case.
Challenging the said order, the Madhya Pradesh Government had approached High Court with the review petition the same year and on Monday the HC also dismissed the petition, upholding the Bhopal Court verdict.
Early this year, Bedi had moved an application with the high court pleading that case had been pending in the court for the last 12 years and was stalling issuance of a permanent passport for her. The Supreme Court had also ordered early disposal of the matter.
Her lawyers had claimed in the court that there was no evidence that their client prepared a passport fraudulently from Bhopal.
Arrested by Interpol from Lisbon the capital of Portugal, underworld don Abu Salem and Monica Bedi where extradited to India in the year 2005. Salem was later convicted in 1993 blasts while Bedi also spent four years in prison, including two years in Portugal.