Monday, April 25 2005 17:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian authorities arrested two Indian software engineers on suspicion of being illegal immigrants even though the men had valid visas, Indian officials said today (Apr 25, 2005).

The employees of Indian software giant HCL Technologies were arrested Saturday (Apr 23, 2005) evening while eating at a food stall in Kuala Lumpur, an Indian Embassy official and an HCL official said on condition of anonymity.

Members of RELA, a voluntary paramilitary force that helps authorities in a continuing crackdown on illegal workers, took the men, who weren't identified, to a detention camp for illegal migrants because they didn't have their passports with them, the embassy official said.

Malaysian police denied knowledge of the case and calls to RELA went unanswered.

The embassy official said that authorities refused to release the pair even after officials at HCL, one of India's largest information technology development companies, vouched for them.

One man was released yesterday (Apr 24, 2005) after authorities reviewed his passport. But the other man was held a second night, although the immigration department confirmed the man's status, the embassy official said.

The second man was scheduled to be released later today.