Chinese man detained in J&K over travel violation; he searched Article 370 on phone
Security agencies have detained a 29-year-old Chinese national who travelled through Ladakh and Kashmir for over two weeks without permission, triggering a larger crackdown on accommodation facilities violating foreigner-reporting norms in Srinagar.
According to officials, an unusual internet communication intercepted by the Army first alerted security agencies to the presence of a suspicious foreign national in the region. The man was identified as Hu Congtai, a resident of the Shenzhen area in Guangdong province.
Hu had arrived in Delhi on November 19 on a tourist visa that permitted travel only to Buddhist religious places in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. However, he violated the terms of this visa by visiting Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
A scan of his mobile phone revealed searches related to CRPF deployments in Kashmir, Article 370, and other security-linked queries. Officials said he had also procured an Indian SIM card from the local market.
ENTERED LEH USING RESEMBLANCE TO LOCALS
Sources said Hu boarded a flight to Leh on November 20 and managed to bypass foreign-national scanning at the airport by blending in with local travellers. During his stay in Ladakh, he moved across several locations, including the Zanskar region.
On December 1, he arrived in Srinagar and stayed at an unregistered guest house. In Kashmir, he is believed to have visited multiple sites, including the Harwan Buddhist monastery, Shankaracharya hills, Hazratbal, Mughal Garden along Dal Lake, and the Awantipur ruins near the Army’s Victor Force headquarters.
Hu, who holds a physics degree from Boston University, has travelled to several countries including the US, New Zealand, Brazil, Fiji and Hong Kong. Authorities said the current case appears to be a violation of visa rules, and deportation is the most likely action.
CRACKDOWN ON J&K HOTELS AND HOUSEBOATS
Following the detention, the J&K Police initiated a major drive against hotels, homestays and houseboats in Srinagar for failing to submit Form-C, a mandatory requirement under the Immigration and Foreigners Act for reporting the stay of foreign nationals.
Five FIRs have been registered so far. The police found that several properties had provided accommodation to foreign nationals without completing the necessary reporting formalities. Visitors from Russia, Israel, Romania and Spain were among those housed without due compliance in recent months.
The crackdown, officials said, follows concern that Hu managed to stay and travel across Ladakh and Kashmir without being detected by the authorities for more than two weeks.
