We went into the police station and were shown to the investigation room. Another, obviously more senior Police Sub-Inspector by the name of V. Nataraj initiated the preliminaries. He first queried me and then asked me whether I wanted to prepare a statement. Jacob who had taken charge of explaining my situation said that at this moment there was no statement to make till the details of the charges against me were made known to us.

Police Sub-Inspector said that the charge against me was that I had not registered at the Foreigners Registration Office before 30 November 1980. Jacob showed the officer that there was no entry in my passport that showed that my registration was up to any particular date. Police Sub-Inspector Nataraj kept insisting that my registration was only until 30 November 1980. He had, however, to accept that there was no entry in the passport or any document in my possession which showed this to be the case.

He then mentioned the letter dated 28 March 1981 purported to have been sent to me. I strongly insisted that such a letter had not been received. Such an important paper would have been sent by registered post. If I had received it the acknowledgement slip would have been in his possession, which was not the case.

I clearly proved that I had made my application for my residential permit in both 1980 and in 1981 but that I had had no intimation as to the status of my residential permit from the registration office. I also explained that we had, irrespective of any letter, visited the office on 18 February and 3 April and on the latter date had submitted the application for registration. I explained to him what had taken place during the last visit. I told him that I had been asked to visit the office on 15 April, the following Wednesday. If so, why then the arrest?

It was soon apparent to this officer, a sensible man, that there was not really any case against me. This compelled him to admit that he had been instructed by Police Sub-Inspector Manjula to proceed with the arrest. He mentioned that he had questioned her over the details and facts and on what basis they could prosecute me. He stated that she had retorted that it was none of his concern. All he had to do was to carry out the arrest and produce me in court where she would take the responsibility to produce the necessary evidence.

He asked me to surrender all my passports including the ones which had expired. He gave me a receipt for taking possession of them. He then informed me that the orders were that I should be held in custody till the case came up, the first possible date being the Tuesday after the Easter weekend holidays. Things certainly looked bleak as it meant that I would have to spend the next nine days locked up in a police cell. Certainly a Happy Easter lay ahead of me!!

It was now clearly evident how malicious Police Sub-Inspector Manjula really had been. She had carefully chosen the time and date of arrest in such a way that would ensure that I had no recourse to the court to stay it or even apply for bail, as the whole of the following week the court would be in recess for the Easter holidays. If we had suspected her streak of viciousness, Jacob could have taken what is known as "anticipatory bail" to ensure that I would not have to be locked up in a police cell, not a very endearing prospect in India. Her meanness was even more evident in that knowing what her actions would be, she had calmly asked me to report to her on April 15, knowing that I would safely be in the Basavangudi police lock-up on that day.

Jacob pleaded with Police Sub-Inspector Nataraj for me not to be held in custody. First he attempted a logical stand that this was a ridiculous situation. Seeing that this approach was not working he then took to the name-dropping stand referring to the respectability of the Matthan family, especially in this suburb of Basavangudi where all the Matthan children had made contributions in various ways. He then resorted to mentioning well known personalities in Karnataka who would be able to vouch for the family. Names such as the as former State Vigilance Commissioner Justice Mir Iqbal Husain, a terror among police officers as he had been particularly strong-handed about corrupt officers of the law, as well as of political friends, such as a senior member of the Indian Parliament in Delhi, S. M. Krishna from Karnataka, were mentioned. As a last resort Jacob spoke of our four children, all between the ages of eight to fifteen who were dependent on their mother for their day-to-day requirements.

Although the officer was not friendly or sympathetic, the sheer force behind Jacob's pleadings seemed to have had some effect. Since Police Sub-Inspector Nataraj also by now harboured personal doubts about the merits of the prosecution and he saw that we had connections to the very top of the political ladder in the State as well as the Centre in New Delhi, he agreed to allow me to leave the police station after completing formalities for which he was responsible. It was clear to him that there was spite in this arrest.

Before we left the police station, my father-in-law accompanied by his grandson, Ashok, came there in case they were needed or could be of any help. By then Police Sub-Inspector Nataraj had made his decision that I was to be allowed to leave the place on the condition that I would return to the police station on the morning of Tuesday 21 so as to be produced in court.