HYDERABAD, India, 30 September 2006 — A court yesterday convicted Monica Bedi, a Bollywood actress and girlfriend of underworld don Abu Salem, in a passport forgery case and sentenced her to five years in prison. The court also imposed a fine of 1,000 rupees ($22). Three other accused were also convicted while two others were acquitted.
Her lawyer S. Pradeep Kumar told Arab News that an appeal against the court verdict would be filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
Public prosecutors said that Bedi has been convicted on three counts related to procuring a passport in 2001 under a fictitious name and address.
The other three were found guilty of helping Bedi obtain the fake passport and were sentenced to three years jail.
According to the prosecution, Bedi obtained a passport in the name of Sana Malik Kamal on Sept. 20, 2001, furnishing a false address and date of birth. S.A. Sattar, then assistant sub-inspector in Kurnool district crime records bureau, Mohammed Younis, then senior assistant in Kurnool Mandal revenue office, and D. Gokari Saheb, the then postman in the speed post wing of Kurnool head post office, were found guilty of facilitating the false ID.
Bedi was extradited along with Abu Salem from Portugal. She has been lodged in the state prison for women in Hyderabad since Nov. 12.
The ten months she has been in prison will count toward her five-year sentence.
