Former Infosys employee files new lawsuit seeking damages

MUMBAI (Reuters) - A former Infosys Ltd employee responsible for starting a U.S. investigation into the Indian information technology company's visa practices has filed another lawsuit, demanding damages for alleged wrongful termination.

U.S. national Jack Palmer, who was employed by Infosys in Alabama, said in the lawsuit filed on Thursday with a New Jersey court that he had been discriminated against because he flagged that the company was flouting U.S. visa rules.

The lawsuit, seen by Reuters, did not specify how much damages Palmer was seeking.

He had previously tried to take Infosys to court, but his earlier case was dismissed in August 2012.

"Palmer resigned in 2013 November and released the company from the charges he has alleged in the complaint. We believe this is without any legal merit and will vigorously defend this complaint," an Infosys spokeswoman told Reuters.

Last year, Infosys paid $34 million to end an investigation related to the widespread practice by Indian firms of flying workers to client sites in the United States on temporary visas. U.S. authorities had been looking into Infosys's use of visas since 2011.

Employment visas are a politically charged topic in the United States, especially those related to Indian IT services companies that are seen as taking jobs away from Americans.

(Reporting by Nivedita Bhattacharjee; Editing by Miral Fahmy and Kirti Pandey)