Chinese man detained in Kashmir for illegal travel and suspicious activity

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police detained a Chinese national, Hu Congtai, on Sunday, after he visited Ladakh and Srinagar without authorisation. Authorities said the arrest followed the interception of unusual online chatter by the Army, which prompted a security alert in the Kashmir valley.

The 29-year-old had entered India on a tourist visa permitting him to visit only Buddhist religious sites in Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur, Sarnath, Gaya, and Kushinagar. Exploiting his resemblance to the local population, Congtai travelled to Ladakh on 10 November without registering at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Leh.

Investigations revealed that he toured the Zanskar region for three days and visited other areas of interest before flying to Srinagar on 1 December. In Srinagar, he stayed at an unregistered guest house and visited Harwan, a Buddhist site linked to a previous Lashkar-e-Taiba encounter. He had also obtained an Indian SIM card from the open market.

Police searches of his phone revealed that he had sought information on CRPF deployments in the valley and the constitutional provisions under Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir before its abrogation in August 2019. His movements also included visits to Awantipur ruins near the Victor Force army headquarters, Shankaracharya Hills, Hazratbal, and the Mughal Garden by Dal Lake.

Hu Congtai’s travel raised alarms due to the sensitive nature of the areas he visited and his interest in Indian security arrangements. Security agencies noted that his itinerary extended beyond the approved Buddhist sites on his visa. The combination of his travel in restricted regions, use of an unregistered guest house, and efforts to access information on CRPF deployments prompted immediate detainment. Authorities are continuing investigations into the purpose of his visits and whether any local assistance was involved in facilitating his movements.