Chand Mehta, Chief exports manager of Jaipur-based Auto Lite, was taken into custody by police at the ongoing "Equip auto '99 exhibition" in Villepinte, near Paris, to inquire about a copyright violation by his company. Auto Lite, which is participating on its own in the exhibition, produces auto spare parts, mainly head lights for cars.

"We are puzzled by the arrest of Mehta. Normally, business disputes do not come under any criminal offence. Despite Mehta's company offering to pay the bail amount of $5000 he was not released," official sources here said. The company, owned by industrialist DP Jain, has been in the business for the last 20 years and supplies components to all the major auto-makers in India and abroad. It was erroneously reported in a section of the press that six Indian businessmen were arrested on charges of copyrightviolations.

Along with Mehta, a Belgian representative and a Taiwanese woman executive were arrested on similar charges by different companies. While the Belgian was released on bail, the Indian and Taiwanese executives continue to be in prison, sources said.

Indian representatives here said Mehta was detained on a complaint by the Peugeot charging that Auto Lite catalogues, distributed in the exhibition, marketed head lights for Peugeot-205 cars for which they don't have licence. Peugeot claimed it was a clear case of copyright violation.

The other Indian participants in the exhibition were shocked to witness the treatment meted out to Mehta. "It is for the first time an Indian business executive has been arrested during an exhibition," a senior official commented.

The sources said the dispute between Peugeot and Auto Lite Ltd started with the French car-maker suddenly backing out from its decision to start a joint-venture with Premier Automobiles. While the French company was planning to launchPeugeot-305 in India it had elaborate consultations with Indian components manufacturers for supply of spare parts for the car. Sources said auto lite received orders for tooling.