Mumbai: A sessions court today (June 11, 2004) released on bail a police inspector, arrested on charges of aiding and abetting the fake stamp paper racket of Abdul Karim Telgi besides failing to arrest the prime accused.

Sessions judge U D Salvi granted bail to Agatrao Sonwalkar in the sum of Rs 10,000 on the ground of parity as other cops arrested on similar charges have been enlarged.

Defence lawyer I P Bagadia urged for his bail saying the accused had spent four months in custody and his colleagues had secured bail on similar charges.

According to the prosecution, Sonwalkar had failed to arrest Telgi when high court had rejected his plea for anticipatory bail on December 1, 1995. He allowed Telgi to walk out of the high court following which the accused absconded.

Sonwalkar is also charged with preparing false papers and documents to seek proclamation order against Telgi from the court.

Other policemen who have already secured bail include Ganpat Jadhav, Ramachandra Yenam and Kulwantsingh Parmar.