A court in New Delhi has freed two British planespotters who were arrested recently for spying on aircraft, after they both agreed to pay a fine, a news report said Saturday.
Stephen Hampston and Steven Martin had plead guilty and confessed to violating India's Telegraph Act by intercepting communications between pilots and airport authorities, the Indian Express newspaper reported.
The two claimed to be unaware that planespotting in India was a punishable offence and said nothing incriminating was found against them, defence lawyer Rajeev Awasthi told the newspaper, DPA reported.
On Friday, the judge ordered Hampston and Martin to pay a fine of 25,000 rupees (550 dollars) each and allowed them to leave the country, Awasthi said. The court also instructed police to return their laptops and equipment which was confiscated earlier.
The two were held in mid-February after staff of the hotel where they were staying complained about "suspicious activities" to police.
The hotel was near Delhi's international airport and the men had maps, powerful binoculars and sophisticated equipment including gadgets for recording conversations between air traffic controllers and pilots, police said.
Police said investigations had shown that the men had no connection with terrorist groups.
Cities across India have been on an alert after a bombing in India's southern city of Pune killed 15 people and injured 60, as well as intelligence warnings of possible aircraft hijackings.