Indian top court bails Muslim academic

India's top court granted bail on Wednesday to a professor arrested for commentating online about the military conflict with Pakistan, but did not stop the investigation against him.

Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a political science professor at the private, liberal-arts Ashoka University, was arrested on Sunday over a Facebook post criticising those "mindlessly advocating" for war. He also wrote that the "optics" of two women army officers who had held press briefings "must translate to reality on the ground otherwise it's just hypocrisy".

Mahmudabad since said his comments had been "misunderstood" and that he had exercised his "fundamental right to freedom of thought and speech".

He is charged under multiple sections of India's criminal code, including endangering the country's sovereignty and using words or gestures with the intention of insulting the modesty of a woman. While granting Mahmudabad bail, India's Supreme Court said he should have avoided "use of complicated words" which could "hurt individuals" and instead used "simpler words to convey his sentiments".