Chinese national sent back from Kashmir after visiting J&K, Ladakh in violation of FRRO rules

Srinagar, Dec 11 (IANS) A Chinese national was put on emergency exit and sent back after visiting J&K and Ladakh in violation of the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) rules, police said on Thursday.

Police said that a Chinese national, identified as Hu Congtai, was put on emergency exit and sent back on Wednesday after he visited Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in violation of FRRO rules.

"The 29-year-old Chinese national, Hu Congtai, was put on emergency exit and sent back from the Srinagar airport yesterday after he was blacklisted for violating the FRRO rules," police said.

A Physics graduate from Boston University (USA), he was picked up from a low-budget homestay in Friends Colony in Budgam district three days ago.

It was found that his visa was not valid for entry into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Police said his visa is valid only for Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur, Sarnath, Gaya, and Kushinagar.

However, he entered Jammu and Kashmir without a valid visa, police said.

The information about the above person came to the notice of the local police. "The Chinese national was sent back from Srinagar to Delhi after conducting a preliminary investigation," police added.

Hu Congtai arrived in Srinagar on December 1 and was sent back to Delhi by the Air India Express flight on Wednesday.

The Chinese national faced questioning at the Humhama Police Station in Srinagar for two days. The digital login on his mobile phone, which had an Indian SIM card, left the security agencies curious about him.

Congtai told officials that he read a lot of literature on Kashmir and Ladakh before travelling and even watched movies like Article 370. During his Kashmir stay, he toured Shankaracharya hills, Hazratbal shrine, Mughal Gardens, Harwan Buddhist site and ruins at Awantipora in South Kashmir.

He came under scanner first when he ventured into the Zanskar valley of Ladakh on November 25 in violation of his limited visa. In Ladakh, which borders China, he stayed in Zanskar's picturesque Zangla, a traditional route of trekking into Himachal Pradesh from Ladakh.

He has already visited Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur, Sarnath, Gaya and Kushinagar, officials said. He arrived in India on November 19 on a tourist visa.