A CBI special court today sentenced Abu Salem, an extradited criminal, to seven years' imprisonment in a fake passport case of 2001. Justice M V Ramana Naidu pronounced his judgment this morning in the case.

Abu Salem had been found guilty earlier on the charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery for cheating under the Indian Penal Code. He had allegedly procured the fake passport with fictitious identity of R K Malik by submitting bogus documents including that of residential proof from Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, allegedly in connivance with some government officials and private persons.

Salem had acquired three fake passports, one for his wife, another for Bollywood actress Monica Bedi, besides himself. The case was transferred to the CBI in 2002 and chargesheet was filed in 2004 while the trial began against Abu Salem in 2009.