NEW DELHI: India has lodged a protest with the US embassy here, accusing it of using an initiative against Internet crime as a cover for spying activities, a report said on Monday.

The protest follows the arrest of three senior officials — representing India on the cyber security forum — for maintaining “unauthorised contacts” with a US diplomat, the Indian Express reported.

The officer of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, and two others from the National Security Council Secretariat, were booked under the Official Secrets Act after confessing to meeting the US diplomat without approval.

The intelligence officer, arrested on Thursday, has also admitted to having 10 portable computer memory devices, the report said.—AFP