Chinese Man Detained In J&K For Violating Visa Norms, Visiting Sensitive Areas; Searched Article 370 On Phone

Hu Congtai arrived in Delhi on November 19 on a tourist visa. He allegedly visited restricted areas, including various locations in Kashmir Valley, Leh, and Zanskar, without the required registration.

Hu Congtai, from China's Guangdong province, was detained in India for violating visa norms.

Source : X@InsightGL

A 29-year-old Chinese man was detained after he travelled through Ladakh and Kashmir for over two weeks without the required permits, sparking a sweeping enforcement action against J&K's lodging providers for ignoring foreigner registration rules.

Hu Congtai, from Shenzhen in Guangdong province, first caught attention through unusual online signals picked up by the Army. He landed in Delhi on November 19 with a tourist visa limited strictly to Buddhist sites in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Yet, he violated the terms of his visa and headed to restricted zones in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, without registering with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), NDTV reported.

A check of his phone uncovered searches on CRPF positions in Kashmir, Article 370, and other security matters. He had also purchased a local Indian SIM card from the market. Hu slipped into Leh by flight on November 20, dodging foreigner checks by looking like a local amid the crowd, then explored spots including the remote Zanskar area.

By December 1, he reached Srinagar and checked into an unregistered guesthouse, hitting sites such as Harwan Buddhist monastery, Shankaracharya hills, Hazratbal, Mughal Garden by Dal Lake, and Awantipora ruins near an Army base, the report said.

Holding a physics degree from Boston University, Hu has a travel history spanning the US, New Zealand, Brazil, Fiji, and Hong Kong. Officials view this mainly as a visa breach, which could lead towards deportation.

J&K Hotels Under Check After Hu's Detention

Following the incident, J&K Police launched raids on Srinagar hotels, homestays, and houseboats for skipping Form-C filings under the Immigration and Foreigners Act. Five FIRs wee filed against properties that housed foreigners from Russia, Israel, Romania, and Spain without proper reports in recent months.

Authorities worry how Hu evaded detection for so long, underscoring gaps in monitoring sensitive border regions. The drive aims to tighten compliance and bolster security in these high-stakes areas.