I-Flex: Senthil Kumar granted bail

After spending a week in the Brixton prison in South West London on alleged visa violations, the CEO of Dutch subsidiary of Indian software firm I-Flex Solutions Senthil Kumar, was on Wednesday released on bail but was asked to surrender his passport by a local court here. Magistrate Workman while releasing him on bail of pound; 20,000 asked Kumar to surrender his passport and not to leave the city and fixed the case for next hearing on April 11.

8220;I thank the Indian government and the diplomatic officers of the Indian High Commission here for their support. It is a legal process, we have to go through it,8221; a much-relieved Kumar said soon after the magistrate8217;s order. 8220;The authorities in the prison were very cordial. Everyone was supportive,8221; he added. Kumar was arrested here last Wednesday following an Interpol alert over a complaint filed against his company in Amsterdam that 14 of its employees were working in the Netherlands without work permits. Kumar8217;s counsel, barrister Hugo Keith told judge Workman at the Bow Street magistrate8217;s court that Kumar took over as director of the Dutch company after the visa applications for the 14 employees were made. 8220;A family man and a senior officer of the company, Senthil Kumar is prepared to provide a security deposit of up to 339;1 million with five sureties,8221; he said.

In Mumbai, I-flex Solutions welcomed the release of Senthil Kumar in London and reiterated its commitment to fully co-operate with the investigations. The company chairman and managing director Rajesh Hukku, who is in London, in a statement thanked the government, Ministries of External Affairs and IT, Nasscom, industry and the media for the unstinting support to the company and Kumar8217;s family.

Kumar has been accused of involvement in providing false references for a number of company employees to come to work in Holland. The I-Flex office in Mumbai has said that the visa documents of all employees in Amsterdam were in order. It said the employees were on business visa while their work permits were being processed.