Kuala Lumpur, May 26: Bangalore-based IBM employee Narendra Babu, who was detained here over the weekend for overstaying his visa, is likely to be released soon, sources at the Malaysian immigration office said here today. "He will be released as soon as we finish all the paperwork. This may take a day or so, we will try finishing the work at the earliest," the sources said.
Babu, who works with the planning department of the software company, will be fined ringet 100 (nearly Rs 1200) for overstaying by seven days, they said.
He was held by immigration officials on Friday night before boarding the flight backhome at Kuala Lumpur.

IBM programme manager in Kuala Lumpur, Nazri Shah Musa in-charge of security, occupation, health, safety and environment said "I have nothing to comment."
Indian counsellor officials here are coordinating with the immigration authorities and IBM officials for the release of Babu.

Relations between India and Malaysia had suffered recently after the police mishandled a crackdown on illegal immigrants detaining around 270 people, mostly Indian IT professionals with valid travel documents.

According to Malaysian law a person committing an immigration offence like overstay is detained for probe. If the overstay is for less then two weeks and there are no other charges against him, he is released at the earliest against a compound fine.
However, if the overstay exceeds two weeks, the case is sent to a magistrate's court.

Bureau Report