SC seeks status report in Monica Bedi case

The Supreme Court today asked the Madhya Pradesh government to file a status report about the progress made so far in the passport forgery case trial in which former actress Monica Bedi is an accused. The direction was issued when the court was hearing the petition filed by Bedi for bail in the case.

Counsel for Bedi KTS Tulsi contended before the bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan that bail should be granted to Bedi as there is no material evidence against her that she was involved in the alleged offence of passport forgery. At the time the alleged offence was committed she was in Dubai where she traveled on her own passport. Moreover, the forged passport has not been recovered till date. The handwriting as well as signature which appears on the passport application form is not of Bedi and this fact has been proved by the expert report, he said.

Tulsi also pleaded that since Bedi has already undergone imprisonment which is more than what is prescribed under the Passport Act, she deserves to be released immediately. 8220;If we calculate the period for which she is in prison both in Portugal and India, it is more than five years while the maximum prison term which can be imposed for an offence under the Passport Act is two years,8221; the counsel said.

The court has fixed May 17 as next date of hearing of the petition. The court after examining the status report will decide on the matter on that date.