Mumbai, Feb. 18 -- A court in Mumbai on Saturday granted bail to three men arrested by the city police earlier this month for allegedly entering India unlawfully on a boat from Kuwait. As no incriminating "angle" was found in the case except that they allegedly fled with a fishing boat without the permission of its owner, it would not be just to keep them behind bars, said additional chief metropolitan magistrate (Esplanade court) Pravin Modi.

Accused Nitso Ditto (31), Vijay Vinay Anthony (29) and J Sahayatta Anish (29) contended that they were fishermen from Tamil Nadu who had gone to Kuwait for jobs, but had to escape as they were ill-treated by their employer.

They were tortured, assaulted with rods and other weapons, and the employe...