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Alert

Journalist Lenin Kumar Roy and two assistants freed on bail

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has voiced its relief after journalist and writer Lenin Kumar Roy and his two assistants were granted bail by a judge in Bhubaneswar district on 17 December 2008, after spending 10 days in custody. They were only released the following morning.

"This release is good news but the charges against Roy and the other two should be lifted as quickly as possible," the worldwide press freedom organisation said.

One of the journalist's lawyers, Biswapriya Kanungo, said the judge, J.P. Das, granted bailed to each of the three for the sum of 20,000 rupees (approx. 295 euros) and with some conditions attached.

On 16 December, the Orissa Human Rights Commission submitted a petition drawn up by the journalist's wife, Rumita Kundu, to the state's department for internal affairs which described the arrest of her husband as "illegal" and a human rights violation.