Mumbai: The Bombay High Court today (Aug 27, 2004) granted bail to former DCP Pradip Sawant who has been booked under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) in the multi-crore Telgi fake stamp scam.

Justice D G Deshpande granted Sawant bail on a sum of Rs 25,000 with a surety of like amount and has restricted him from moving out of city limits without the permission of the court.

Sawant's earlier bail plea was rejected by the special MCOCA court in Pune, while in the bail plea before the High Court, the former DCP had said that since the investigations in the case were over and statements of all accused and witnesses have been recorded, he be granted bail.

The CBI, which has taken over probe of the Telgi scam, while opposing Sawant's plea had stated that the probe was in a critical stage and more arrests were likely. In this situation if Sawant was granted bail, he may tamper with the witnesses.