Visa Rules / Chinese Man Detained in Srinagar as J&K Police Crack Down on Unreported Stays
·3 months ago·2 min read
Key Points
- Chinese national detained in J&K for travelling to Ladakh and Kashmir in violation of visa conditions.
- Phone checks revealed searches on CRPF deployment and Article 370; deportation likely.
- Police launch enforcement drive against hotels and houseboats for failing to file mandatory Form C.
Srinagar, Dec 9: Security agencies have detained a 29-year-old Chinese national in Jammu and Kashmir for travelling through Ladakh and Kashmir for more than two weeks in violation of his visa conditions, prompting a wider crackdown on accommodations that failed to report foreign guests, officials said.
The man, identified as Hu Congtai from Shenzhen in China’s Guangdong province, arrived in Delhi on November 19 on a tourist visa that allowed travel only to Buddhist sites in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Authorities said Hu violated those terms by entering Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
Security agencies were first alerted after the Army intercepted an unusual communication online, officials said. A check of Hu’s mobile phone showed searches related to CRPF deployment in Kashmir, Article 370, and other security-related topics. He had also obtained an Indian SIM card locally, they added.
According to officials, Hu flew to Leh on November 20 and passed through the airport without being flagged by foreign-national verification systems by blending in with local passengers. He then travelled across parts of Ladakh, including the Zanskar region.
Hu reached Srinagar on December 1 and checked into an unregistered guest house. During his stay, he visited several locations in the Valley, including Harwan Buddhist Monastery, Shankaracharya Hills, Hazratbal, Mughal Gardens on Dal Lake, and the Awantipur ruins near the Army’s Victor Force headquarters.
Hu holds a physics degree from Boston University and has previously travelled to the United States, New Zealand, Brazil, Fiji and Hong Kong. Officials said the case appears to be a visa violation, and deportation is likely.
Following Hu’s detention, J&K Police launched a major enforcement drive against hotels, homestays and houseboats in Srinagar for failing to file Form C, a mandatory report of foreign nationals staying on their premises under the Immigration and Foreigners Act.
Police have registered five FIRs so far. Investigators found that several accommodations had hosted foreign visitors from Russia, Israel, Romania and Spain in recent months without completing the required reporting procedures.
Also Read: Trump Vows Fresh Tariffs on Indian Agricultural Imports
Officials said the crackdown was prompted by concerns that Hu was able to move across Ladakh and Kashmir undetected for more than two weeks.
The man, identified as Hu Congtai from Shenzhen in China’s Guangdong province, arrived in Delhi on November 19 on a tourist visa that allowed travel only to Buddhist sites in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Authorities said Hu violated those terms by entering Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
Security agencies were first alerted after the Army intercepted an unusual communication online, officials said. A check of Hu’s mobile phone showed searches related to CRPF deployment in Kashmir, Article 370, and other security-related topics. He had also obtained an Indian SIM card locally, they added.
According to officials, Hu flew to Leh on November 20 and passed through the airport without being flagged by foreign-national verification systems by blending in with local passengers. He then travelled across parts of Ladakh, including the Zanskar region.
Hu reached Srinagar on December 1 and checked into an unregistered guest house. During his stay, he visited several locations in the Valley, including Harwan Buddhist Monastery, Shankaracharya Hills, Hazratbal, Mughal Gardens on Dal Lake, and the Awantipur ruins near the Army’s Victor Force headquarters.
Hu holds a physics degree from Boston University and has previously travelled to the United States, New Zealand, Brazil, Fiji and Hong Kong. Officials said the case appears to be a visa violation, and deportation is likely.
Following Hu’s detention, J&K Police launched a major enforcement drive against hotels, homestays and houseboats in Srinagar for failing to file Form C, a mandatory report of foreign nationals staying on their premises under the Immigration and Foreigners Act.
Police have registered five FIRs so far. Investigators found that several accommodations had hosted foreign visitors from Russia, Israel, Romania and Spain in recent months without completing the required reporting procedures.
Also Read: Trump Vows Fresh Tariffs on Indian Agricultural Imports
Officials said the crackdown was prompted by concerns that Hu was able to move across Ladakh and Kashmir undetected for more than two weeks.
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