In a case of suspected security breach, a telephone number of the Indian High Commission in Canada was used to make phone calls to Indian and Canadian nationals, asking them about their passport details. The Indian government is probing the suspected breach, and an alert has been sounded by the Indian mission in Ottawa. South Block has taken “serious note” of the development as it comes days after the October 22 terror attack in Canada, in which a masked gunman killed a soldier standing guard at Canada’s National War Memorial and then stormed Parliament before being shot dead. Confirming the development to The Indian Express, top Indian government sources said that an alarmed South Block has ordered a probe into the matter. The Indian High Commission in Ottawa has put out an alert on its website, saying, “It has come to the notice of High Commission of India, Ottawa that its telephone number [613-7443751] is being misused for calling people regarding nationality & passport matters, tax and money related issues.” “This is to alert all that the High Commission of India, Ottawa has nothing to do with these calls. No information or money should be given to the callers. The matter should immediately be reported to the police. High Commission of India has already approached the concerned Canadian authorities in this regard,” the alert said. The Indian High Commissioner in Canada, Admiral Nirmal K Verma, could not be reached for comments despite several attempts. While a probe will determine whether an “insider” in the Indian High Commission in Ottawa is involved or not, sources are not ruling out the possibility of “cloning” or “masking” the telephone numbers using high-end technology. The Indian High Commission has three telephone numbers: 6137443751, 6137443752 and 6137443753, but only one of them was used for these calls. What is worrying is that the number (613 744 3751) is also an emergency number for consular services, a source privy to the developments said. South Block officials said they are in touch with the Canadian intelligence agencies on this issue. The agencies are also looking into the suspected breach seriously, since there are pro-Khalistan elements active in Canada and the issue was recently part of talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird.
