An unusual conversation on the Internet intercepted by the military raised alarms for security agencies in the Kashmir valley, resulting in the apprehension of a Chinese national who had entered Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir without authorization, officials reported on Sunday.
Hu Congtai, 29, arrived in Delhi on November 19 with a tourist visa that allowed him to visit Buddhist religious sites in Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur, Sarnath, Gaya, and Kushi Nagar.
However, taking advantage of his similarity to the locals, he boarded a flight to Leh on November 20 and failed to register at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office counter at the Leh airport.
During his visit, he explored the Zanskar region for three days and visited significant locations in the Himalayan town before arriving in Srinagar on December 1, according to the officials.
A review of his phone history indicated that he was searching for the deployment of CRPF in the valley, the officials stated, adding that he was being interrogated by various agencies.
As per the officials, he had procured an Indian SIM card from the open market.
While in Srinagar, where he resided in an unregistered guest house, the Chinese national visited a Buddhist religious site at Harwan, a location where an encounter had resulted in the death of a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist last year.
According to the officials and data retrieved from his phone, he had also visited the Awantipur ruins in South Kashmir, situated near the Victor Force headquarters of the army in South Kashmir.
During his stay, he also explored various areas of Srinagar, including Shankracharya hills, Hazratbal, and the Mughal Garden along Dal Lake.
His phone history revealed searches related to CRPF deployments and Article 370 of the Constitution, which was abrogated in August 2019 to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, the officials noted.
Hu has successfully graduated with a degree in Physics from Boston University and has expressed a fondness for travel. His passport indicates that he has traveled to several countries, including the United States, New Zealand, Brazil, Fiji, and Hong Kong.
The authorities stated that he had breached the visa regulations and, at most, they could return him to his home country.
