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The group of Judges of Constitutional Court of Portugal has
unanimously
dismissed the appeal of Monica Bedi on 24.02.2005 filed against
its Preliminary
decision dated 18th January, 2005.
Monica Bedi was arrested on 18.9.2002 by the Judicial Police
of Portugal
at Lisbon alongwith Abu Salem Ansari, an absconding accused
of serial
Bombay Bomb Blast cases. She was found in possession of forged
passport
issued by the Regional Passport Office, Hyderabad, in the
name of Sana
Malik Kamal. A criminal case was registered against her in
CBI for
securing the said passport fraudulently by misrepresentation
of facts and
use of forged documents. A formal request for her extradition
was made
by the Government of India to the Ministry of foreign Affairs,
Portugal
on 27.12.2002. After the request was examined by the Attorney
General,
Portugal and Ministry of Justice, it was forwarded to the
High Court of
Lisbon for judicial examination.
The High Court of Lisbon granted her extradition on 14.7.2004.
Monica Bedi filed an appeal against the order of the High
Court in the Supreme
Court of Portugal. The Supreme Court of Portugal rejected
the appeal on
2.12.2004. The order of the Supreme Court was challenged by
Monica Bedi
in the Constitutional Court of Portugal.
An additional request for extradition of Monica Bedi, in a
case
registered by MP Police for securing another passport in assumed
name of
Fauzia Usman from Passport Office, Bhopal, is pending consideration
of
High Court, Lisbon.
Monica Bedi was convicted by the Sessions Court of Lisbon
for the
offence of use of forged documents in Portugal and was awarded
sentence of two
years. Her appeal was rejected by the High Court of Lisbon.
She has
completed period of sentence.
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