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Consular access to I-flex honcho obtained
March 31, 2003 19:11 IST
The Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom got 'consular access' on Friday to i-flex Solutions' CEO Senthil Kumar, arrested in London following charges of visa violation by the Dutch authorities, and his case would be heard by court on April 2, an external affairs ministry spokesman said on Monday.
Two senior officials of the Indian High Commission met Kumar at Brixton Prison on Friday evening and assured him all necessary consular assistance in dealing with the case.
With Kumar's bail application due to be heard on Wednesday, a report from London said British officials have told their Indian counterparts that they could do very little as the case is before the court.
British police had arrested Kumar following a complaint it received from the Netherlands charging him with 'visa fraud and financial defalcation.'
The Dutch authorities had alerted the Interpol and under the European Commission agreement, the British police was bound to act.
India had earlier lodged a strong protest with the Dutch government over the arrest of Kumar in London and detention of other i-flex employees in the Netherlands for alleged visa violations terming it as 'grossly unfortunate, objectionable and patently unwarranted.'
To a question that Kumar's arrest comes close on the heels of harassment of infotech professionals in Malaysia, the MEA spokesman said they were two distinct issues and Indian professional in Malaysia were mistreated.
MEA sources said unlike the Netherlands foreign office, the Dutch public prosecutor was being rigid and adamant in the case.
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i-Flex CEO's bail plea to be heard next week
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i-flex case: Nasscom for early solution
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