The Bhopal district and sessions Judge, Renu Sharma, on Thursday held the lower court's decision acquitting underworld don Abu Salem's friend Monica Bedi in a fake passport case.
Sharma, who earlier reserved the order on September 3, rejected arguments made by prosecution, saying the prosecution failed to substantiate the charge of fraudulently preparing the passport in 2001.
She said the prosecution committed several mistakes in preparing the case against the accused. No case was made out against Siraj, an accused-turned-approver and Kabir, who was involved in preparing the passport, besides employees of the municipal corporation.
Prosecution had filed the appeal after Monica was acquitted by Chief Judicial Magistrate A K Srivastava's court on July 16. Later, she was released from the Bhopal jail.
Monica, her father Prem Kumar Bedi, uncle Purushottam Bedi and brother were present in the court. Talking to the media after after the verdict, defense counsel P C Bedi expressed happiness over the judgment and said the prosecution failed to prove Monica's complicity in the case.
On November 28, 2001, a case was registered at the Koh-i-Fiza police station against Salem, Samira and Monica for making fake passports using the names Danish Baig, Rubina Baig and Fauzia Osman respectively. Monica was acquitted in the case in July.