Verdict in Abu Salem passport case Nov 16

BHOPAL - Chief Judicial Magistrate Ram Gopal Singh will rule Nov 16 on the fate of underworld don Abu Salem over charges that he got an Indian passport here based on forged documents.

This was stated Monday when Abu Salem appeared before the judge during the final arguments.

Abu Salem’s counsel Jitendra Soni said his client would be brought from Mumbai under police custody Nov 16.

Abu Salem has insisted that he never visited Bhopal or the city municipal corporation office to acquire the passport.

Soni told reporters: “On Oct 26, we have filed an application submitting that the case against my client is without basis as Abu Salem and (his friend) Monica Bedi were extradited together from Portugal under similar charges. Monica Bedi has already been acquitted.”

Actress Monica Bedi was in the Bhopal jail from Dec 4, 2006 to July 16, 2007. She was arrested with Abu Salem in Lisbon Sep 18, 2002 following an Interpol red corner notice issued at the behest of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

She was acquitted due to lack of evidence against her from a Bhopal court and later in another case for possessing a passport from Hyderabad on forged documents under section 420 (cheating), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and section 12 of the Passport Act.

Abu Salem’s lawyer claims that a separate trial against his client was not maintainable.

Abu Salem and his companions allegedly acquired a passport from Bhopal on the basis of fake documents, following which cases were registered against them at the Koh-e-Fiza police station in 2001.

Cases were filed against Abu Salem, his wife Samira Jumani and Monica Bedi for allegedly having fake passports issued to them by the Regional Passport Office by using the fictitious names Danish Baig, Rubina Baig and Fauzia Osman respectively.

Monica Bedi and two local accused, Syed Abdul Jaleel alias Shiraz and Syed Abdul Kabeer alias Baba, were acquitted in the case in July 2007. Samira Jumani is still at large.

Abu Salem has already convicted in 1993 Mumbai’s serial blasts and for killing music and film producer Gulshan Kumar.