New Delhi, July 23: In a fresh move to extradite underworld don Abu Salem's girl-friend Monica Bedi, India has moved Portugal's Supreme Court challenging lower court's verdict which turned down New Delhi's plea for her return to face trial. A CBI spokesman today said that an appeal had been filed in the Supreme Court of Portugal by the prosecutor general at Lisbon on behalf of India against the decision of the trial court refusing to extradite Monica Bedi from Portugal.

Portugal's lower court had rejected Indian plea on the ground that the offence committed by Bedi in India and Portugal were same and she could be tried for the offence in that country. Portugal was trying Monica and Salem for forging documents that enabled Salem to marry a local girl and Monica to a local man and subsequently procuring a resident work permit after the marriage.

In its appeal, CBI stated that Bedi had submitted forged documents to fraudulently obtain passports whereas the crime committed in Portugal was possession of forged documents, the spokesman said, adding, the two crimes were different.

Salem, Bedi and Syed Haider were arrested in Lisbon by Portuguese police on September 18 last year for staying in the country on the basis of forged documents. Salem, whose extradition proceedings were also in the same court, has submitted that he would be harassed if he was sent back. India has already sent its reply to the court disputing his submission.

Bureau Report