Date:21/12/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/12/21/stories/2002122105750100.htm

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Polaris executives released

By P.S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE DEC. 20. Responding to intense diplomatic pressure from India, the Indonesian police today freed the two detained executives of the Chennai-based Polaris Software Labs on the understanding that they would fully cooperate with the security officials and others in Jakarta as regards the "investigations" of the complaints that led to the arrests about a week ago.

Arun Jain and Rajiv Malhotra, corporate executives of India's prestigious software industry, were set at liberty at 9.30 a.m. Jakarta time, and they were not asked to sign any binding document in exchange for freedom.

The apparent basis of the release itself was the "assurance" that the Indonesian officials had received from the Indian Embassy in Jakarta that the Polaris executives would be cooperative in respect of any investigations that the local authorities might wish to conduct. This message was categorically conveyed by India's Charge d'Affaires, Amar Sinha, and the point made was that there was, therefore, no need to keep the executives in detention.

When contacted shortly after the two were freed, Mr. Sinha said they were in good spirits. Top Indonesian officials were not immediately available for comment, but they appreciated the distinction which India repeatedly drew between a commercial dispute that could be resolved through negotiations or arbitration and criminal offences.