The Hindu : National : Monica Bedi writes to Manmohan to cancel proceedings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004

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National

Monica Bedi writes to Manmohan to cancel proceedings

NEW DELHI, NOV. 6. Underworld don Abu Salem's girlfriend Monica Bedi, facing an extradition trial from Portugal to India, has written a pardon letter to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, requesting the cancellation of all criminal proceedings against her initiated by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

A handwritten letter of Bedi, who completed on September 17 her sentence of two years in Portugal for entering that country on a forged document and continuing to use it for stay there, requesting the cancellation of extradition trial against her and to give her ``a second chance'' was received at the Prime Minister's Office, officials said here.

In her letter, Bedi requested that she be allowed to go to Norway where her parents had immigrated 18 years ago.

Apprehends torture

She expressed fear that she would be tortured physically and mentally by CBI to find her links with Abu Salem, who was introduced to her during a stage show as Arslam Ali, a businessman from Pakistan.

Bedi said she came to know about the actual identity of Salem only very late.

The little-known Bollywood actress said in her letter that Abu Salem had forced her to secure a forged passport and clarified that she had never used it while going out from India or in Dubai.

Bedi claimed she had no mala fide intentions.

Admits guilt

Admitting her ``guilt'' in forging the passport, Bedi said CBI would be questioning her in connection of the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast of which she had no knowledge.

``When the blasts took place, I was merely 16 years and was staying in Norway. My association with Salem was very limited and it continued to be like that even when we were caught in Portugal,'' she said in the letter, which has been sent to the Union Home Ministry for examination.

The actress said on her return she would be questioned by CBI about her links with Salem and later she would not be able to visit her parents in the absence of any travel documents, which were likely to be impounded by CBI.

``I know that I have committed a mistake and all I require is a second chance,'' she said, adding ``me and my family is already paying a heavy price for my association with Salem.''

Portugal's stand

The Portugal High Court had said that Bedi could be extradited to India to face trial in a case related to possession of forged passport.

The High Court ordered her extradition in November last which was, however, challenged by Bedi in the Supreme Court which sent the case back to the High Court asking it to give a reasoned order as to why she should be extradited.

The High Court had said that Salem's girlfriend could be sent to India and stand trial for forging travel documents.

CBI's petition, filed by the Portuguese Prosecutor General seeking directions to keep Bedi in custody till her extradition trial was finalised, was also accepted by the High Court.

CBI had sought Bedi's extradition for obtaining a fake travel document in the name of Sanha Kamal Mallick from Hyderabad. She was caught in Portugal with the same passport and detained on September 18, 2002 along with Salem and two other companions.

Brother's deposition

During her extradition trial, her brother Bobby Bedi had deposed before the court and said that his sister and Salem had entered Portugal as they feared threat to their lives from the Indian mafia.

The extradition order of Monica Bedi came after the Supreme Court of Portugal stayed the order of a trial court that rejected her extradition and directed recommencement of proceedings.

Rejecting the extradition request, the trial court had said in July that Bedi could be tried in Portugal as offence of fraud committed by her in India was punishable in that country since she had committed a similar offence there.

PTI

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