“We have no relations with Abu Salem. My sister made a mistake staying with him and she is repenting today,� said Bobby Bedi (32), elder brother of Monica Bedi (30) from Dramman, Norway.
She was tensed
The family last spoke to her, three days before she was deported to India from Lisbon, Portugal.
In a conversation that lasted a few minutes, while Monica was in Portugal prison, her brother said she sounded tense and worried. She was concerned that she might be linked to some false cases or crime syndicates that Salem may be involved in, said Bobby.
TV updates
Her father Prem Kumar Bedi (60) and physically-challenged mother Shakuntala Bedi (57) are glued to TV sets to get the latest news of their daughter’s well-being after she was deported to India. Bobby appraises himself on the development of the case surfing the Net. Bobby assists his father in their family business — a garment shop in Dramman.
Double punishment?
The Bedi family unanimously said it failed to understand why Monica was being tried for the same case (fake passport) in India, after being convicted for three years in Portugal.
A CBI officer explained that in Portugal, Monica was convicted for using a fake passport, but in India they are trying her for obtaining the fake passport — both very different issues.
Monica is not Norwegian citizen
Her father said he was hopeful that Monica would be released from custody at the earliest and that he could get her back in Norway.
“I just want her to have a peaceful life with us,� he said. While her brother and parents are Norwegian citizens, Monica isn’t, as she did not return to Norway within two years as per law.
According to Bobby, a fresh visa application for Monica is pending before the Norwegian embassy for the last four months.
But the family fears that the request will remain pending, with the recent extradition.
Bobby added, “I feel, under the given situation, my sister will never be allowed to leave India and will be forced to live there, after her release from jail.�
Monica left Norway in ’91
Soon after completing her studies in Arts, Monica left Norway in 1991. She flew to Mumbai to fulfil her childhood dream of becoming an actress in Bollywood. In all these years, she visited Norway just once.
“She never disclosed her relationship with Salem. We do not even know if she married him. When we learnt of it through the Indian media, we decided to keep our distance from her,� said Bobby.
He claims that Abu Salem never contacted Monica or any of the family members over the telephone, during her stay with them in Norway.
Courtesy: Mid-Day
