Abu Salem held guilty in fake passport case

BHOPAL - Underworld don Abu Salem was Tuesday held guilty by a Bhopal court in a 2001 fake passport case.

Salem was held guilty of using a forged document and travelling without valid documents by chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Ram Gopal Singh. The court will give its detailed judgment Nov 19.

“Abu Salem was found guilty under section 471 of IPC (Indian Penal Code) and 12A of the Passport Act,” said Rajesh Raikwar, district prosecution officer.

Salem, who was wearing a red T-shirt and trousers, sat inside the court for almost 25 minutes Tuesday.

He was brought to the Bhopal district and sessions court amid tight security. Salem had earlier been brought to Bhopal central jail from Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail Oct 28.

He is likely to remain in the Bhopal prison till the verdict is out Nov 19.

The underworld don along with his companions had allegedly acquired passports from Bhopal on the basis of fake documents, following which cases were registered against them at the Koh-e-Fiza police station in 2001.

His wife Samira Jumani and film actress Monica Bedi were also booked along with him for having fake passports.

These passports were issued from the Regional Passport Office of Bhopal, to Salem Jumani and Bedi under fictitious names of Danish Baig, Rubina Baig and Fauzia Osman, respectively.

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

The actress was in Bhopal jail from Dec 4, 2006 to July 16, 2007. She was arrested along with Salem in Portugal Sep 18, 2002 and brought to India.