A court in Mumbai granted bail on Tuesday to an Indian cartoonist whose arrest on sedition charges over his work lampooning the government has triggered outrage, media reports said. The Press Trust of India reported that Aseem Trivedi, a freelance cartoonist and anti-corruption campaigner, had been granted bail by the Bombay High Court, while NDTV television said he would be released with a personal bond of 5,000 rupees ($90).
Trivedi was arrested in Mumbai on Saturday under laws governing sedition, information technology and protecting India's national flag and constitution after a private complaint from a young lawyer based in the city. The cartoonist's lawyer, who was unavailable to confirm the reports, told AFP earlier in the day that the cartoonist would not apply for bail and wanted the charges against him thrown out. A court on Monday ordered the cartoonist to be held in custody until September 24.
His arrest has sparked a mounting domestic and international backlash against the government, accused by critics of using colonial era laws to crush dissent. Media rights group Reporters Without Borders called for the immediate and unconditional release of Trivedi.