Chinese man detained in J&K over travel violation, searched Article 370 on phone
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New Delhi: Security agencies have detained a 29-year-old Chinese national, traveling through Ladakh and Kashmir without permission, after intercepting an unusual internet communication.
The man, identified as Hu Congtai from the Shenzhen area of China’s Guangdong province, arrived in Delhi on a tourist visa on November 19, according to India Today.
He was permitted to travel only to Buddhist religious places in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan which he violated by visiting Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
Hu Congtai was detained after the Army first alerted security agencies to the presence of a suspicious foreign national in the region.
It is reported that the man alongside procuring an Indian SIM card from local market made searches of security linked queries related to CRPF deployments in Kashmir, Article 370 on his mobile phone.
Boarding a flight to Leh on November 20, the man blended with local travellers thus managing to bypass foreign-national scanning at the airport.
While staying at Ladakh, he moved across several locations, including the Zanskar region.
Later arriving in Srinagar on December 1, he stayed at an unregistered guest house.
Hu, who holds a physics degree from Boston University, visited multiple sites in Kashmir 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 has travelled to several countries including the US, New Zealand, Brazil, Fiji and Hong Kong.
The case against him is reported to be violation of visa rules which will result in likely action of deportation.
Following the detention of the Chinese national after violation of visa rules, authorities directed hotels, homestays and houseboats in Srinagar to report stay of foreign nationals.