KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26: Malaysian police on Sunday released 10 Hindu rights activists on “humanitarian grounds” after they were arrested last week for demonstrating outside the prime minister’s office.

The eight men and two women from the banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) were freed on 1,000 ringgit ($279) bail each ahead of Monday’s Hindu Diwali festival of lights celebrations, state Bernama news agency said.

They will have to report back to police on Nov 25 and their case was still being investigated.Police said they were released to enable them to celebrate Diwali, the New Straits Times reported in its online newspaper on Sunday.

“Although the police, under the law, could extend their remand orders to facilitate investigations, on humanitarian ground they were released to enable them to celebrate the festive occasion,” the spokesman said.

Hindraf, which represents Malaysia’s ethnic Indian minority, has been declared illegal by the government which found it “posed a threat to public order and morality”.

Hindraf chairman Waytha Moorthy, who fled to Britain before the group’s leadership was rounded up last year, vowed the movement would continue to fight for the rights of Hindus.—AFP