A London-based environmentalist driving a biofuel-powered bus around the world was freed on bail by a judge in India on Monday after being arrested for illegally using a satellite telephone.
Andy Pag's lawyer Prateek Kasliwal said the court in the western Indian city of Ajmer released him on condition he put up a personal guarantee of 40,000 rupees (900 dollars).
"Justice P.K. Aggarwal released him on bail after he told the court he was unaware of Indian laws which prohibited the use of satellite telephones without a permit," Kasliwal told AFP by telephone from Ajmer.
The judge said police had failed to provide evidence that Pag, who holds dual British and Italian nationalities, posed a threat to Indian security.
Pag, 35, who left London in his biofuel bus in September, was arrested in the town of Pushkar on Wednesday after Indian army radar detected the signals from his satellite telephone.
The campaigner, whose full name is Andrea Pagnacco, has converted his vehicle to run on vegetable oil. He hopes to raise awareness of alternative fuels as he tours the globe.
Pag was arrested under national security laws that carry a maximum prison sentence of seven years.
Share This Article With Planet Earth