An Indian man from the southern state of Karnataka has been questioned for allegedly calling Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on her mobile phone, but has been released without charge, the BBC has reported.
Indian police officers have reports that the man, identified as Ambaresh, had said nothing lewd or offensive and that he wasn’t even aware that the number belonged to Khar.
The inquiry was launched into the call, made two months ago, when the Pakistani Foreign Office asked India to probe the incident. Ambaresh was then tracked down by officers from the intelligence bureau and the crime branch.
Ambaresh, who works as a tutor, said he was shocked when police began to investigate his background and interrogated him over the call that was made from his mobile phone. He said it was possible that pranksters from the exam-coaching institute where he works used his phone to call the minister.
“Neither have I heard of Khar nor do I know Urdu or English to abuse her. I don’t know if some student who resides at this centre used my phone,” he told Indian media.
“He is clear. There is no case against him,” police officer SB Bisnalli told the BBC.
According to an earlier newspaper report, the call had lasted 15 minutes and the caller had abused Khar. “This is not true at all. It was a call made by mistake,” a crime branch official said.
COMMENTS (27)
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@Raza: In order to trace the origin of call, her secretary engaged caller, thats why agencies were able to track him down.
@Delhi Belly: They are public figure, their numbers are always available, its just they hang up or don't pay attention till next elections.
@Truth Teller: "whereas we would have just denied that anybody in Pakistan has cell phone!"
you made me laugh with your comment, thanks for this--man you got a very good sense of humor and people like you will bring joy to any society....
LATEST:--Pakistan today rubbished as ''baseless'' reports that Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had received an abusive call on her mobile phone from a man in Karnataka-India. "She did not receive any call. The media reports are baseless," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told.
and why this is a national news, are we reporting prank calls which dont exist?
Our Foreign office clearly needs to devote its attention elsewhere. The call cant possibly have been 5 or 15 mins long, else why was the FM hanging on anyway? In fact if it was anything wrong, why didnt she hang up then and there? And if it was a 15 sec prank call (as common sense would dictate but for the given statements), there's not really much reading into it anyway. Would be more serious if it had been a threat or anything, but the article doesn't mention anything of the sort.
It is matter of concern that a phone number of someone in such senior government position is easily available.
According to my sources, the phone was attended by female secretary of Mrs Khar who engaged the guy on phone while Pakistani agencies traced the origins of the call.
@Ahmed, Relations between Ind and Pak are getting better or hotter?
@from India: Most people use two mobiles. Personal mobile is kept separate from the "official" mobile. I'm sure the southie did not get the FMs ear for 15 mins. She may have handed the cell to her secretary or someone who would have tried to ascertian who the caller was and hence the 15 mins.
Enjoyed the remark of "Truth Teller"! Nobody in Pakistan owns a cell phone, what you guys are talking about?
Many questions arise..
1>Call was of 15 mins and Ms.Khar was listening to abusive words... 2>noone is fool enough to call from his cell... 3>How did he get Ms.Khar's Cell number...
ET, can you please verify if it lasted 15 seconds or 15 minutes????!!!
Thanks to the Indian authorities for handling it in a professional way.
@Truth Teller '......would have just denied that anybody in Pakistan has cell phone!'
Can't stop loughing.Great wit.
How did this chap get her number?
15 minutes sounds really fishy (and unlikely) - although the call must have clearly been placed (otherwise the investigation would not have resulted in this finding this guy). One assumption is that the call was placed in error and the guy was talking nineteen-to-a-dozen in Kannada, which may have sounded like abuse to the poor Pak investigators :). I do receive these blank calls from these +92 numbers once in a while (when I am in India) - there may be some technical glitch which merits further study.
At least they had the decency to investigate whereas we would have just denied that anybody in Pakistan has cell phone!
"The inquiry was launched into the call, made two months ago, when the Pakistani Foreign Office asked India to probe the incident. "
Say what?! It is flabbergasting that somebody in our foreign office had the guts to pursue this frivolity.
and for full 15 mins she kept listening all that crap ;)
Had this guy been in Pakistan, he would have remained behind the bars for five years before being declared innocent. However, his torture marks would have remained with him for his life time.
Can a call last for 15 minutes without the recipient hanging around? If call was abusive, why it was attended for 15 minutes?
it's diappointing to see that men can never accept any woman in a position of authority,they always have to find ways of undermining her.this misogynistic mindset prevalent in the subcontinent is a reason why our society doesn't progress.this refusal to allow women to become CEO's of major banks,organisations is only because our men strongly believe that women are inferior to men,that a woman belongs trapped behind the chaar diwari of a man's home,not in an office contributing to society.