Monica free to shoot film outside Punjab: SC

New Delhi, Nov 2 (UNI) The Supreme Court today cleared the decks for Monica Bedi, estranged wife of mafia don Abu Salem to take part in shooting after it permitted her to move anywhere in India after informing the local police in advance.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran dropped the condition that she cannot move out of Punjab without prior permission of the police and with today's order she need not seek any permission from police to leave Punjab.

Her appeal against her conviction and sentence in a passport forgery case is already pending before the apex court and she is on bail in Hyderabad case.

She was awarded five years imprisonment by a local court in Hyderabad.Andhra Pradesh High Court however reduced her sentence to three years on appeal.

She has been acquitted in the second case by a court in Bhopal.

She was extradited from Portugal in 2005 to face trial for travelling on forged and bogus passport.She has also denied that she is the wife of Abu Salem.

Senior counsel K T S Tulsi appeared for Monica Bedi while Additional Solicitor General Amarendar Saran appear for the state.

UNI