Bhopal, Nov. 1: A Bhopal court will pass the verdict on a fake passport case against gangster Abu Salem on November 16.

Salem appeared before the chief judicial magistrate, Ram Gopal Singh, here today for the conclusion of final arguments. His lawyer Jitendra Soni argued that since the Bhopal court had already acquitted actress Monica Bedi of similar charges in July 2007, there was no case against Salem.

Salem, an accused in the 1993 Bombay blasts, and Monica were handed over to India by Portugal five years ago.

Among the various cases they faced was one accusing both of acquiring passports from Bhopal on the basis of forged documents.

Monica has been acquitted because of lack of evidence along with two local accused, Syed Abdul Jaleel alias Shiraz and Syed Abdul Kabeer alias Baba. She has also been cleared in another fake passport case in Hyderabad.

Salem, 42, who is from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, is being tried in several cases relating to murder, terror and fraud.

He was recently attacked and injured in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail by a fellow prisoner, Mustafa Dossa, an alleged member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang. Salem has now been shifted to the Taloja jail in Maharashtra’s Raigad district.