Police question Chinese national for second day, as low-budget homestays come under scanner in Srinagar

As a Chinese nationalist was questioned aft being held successful a low-budget edifice successful Srinagar pursuing a suspicious integer footprint, the J&K Police connected Monday (December 8, 2025) lodged respective First Information Reports (FIRs) against hotels, homestays and houseboats for violating the Immigration & Foreigners Act.

Hu Congtai, 29, a Chinese national and a Physics postgraduate from Boston University, “was being questioned” astatine the Humhama Police Station aft helium was picked up from a low-budget homestay astatine Friends Colony, Budgam, a elder constabulary authoritative told The Hindu. The homestay is adjacent to the Srinagar airport. 

Security agencies were pursuing his integer footprint successful Kashmir and Ladakh, wherever helium toured recently. He had managed to procure a SIM card, “which is being investigated”, officials said. The mobile telephone of the Chinese nationalist “has been sent for a forensic examination”.

Officials said Mr. Hu has watched and work a fig of movies and books connected Kashmir, which see the movie ‘Article 370’ and publication ‘Curfewed Night’.

Security agencies were archetypal alerted to his question that included Shankaracharya hills, Hazratbal shrine, Mughal Gardens, Harwan Buddhist tract and ruins astatine Awantipura ruins successful southbound Kashmir. 

Mr. Hu was being tracked by the information agencies since helium ventured into the Zanskar vale of Ladakh successful usurpation of his constricted visa connected November 25. In Ladakh, which borders China, helium stayed successful Zanskar’s picturesque Zangla, a accepted way of trekking into Himachal Pradesh from Ladakh.  

Before travelling to Ladakh and Kashmir, Mr. Hu besides visited Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur, Sarnath, Gaya and Kushinagar, officials said. He arrived successful India connected November 19, 2025, on a tourer visa. Officials said Mr. Hu seemed “keen to sojourn Buddhist sites”. His visa remains valid till December 30, 2025.

Meanwhile, the J&K Police person launched a large cheque connected hotels, homestays and houseboats hosting overseas nationals successful Kashmir. 

At slightest 5 FIRs were lodged nether the Immigration & Foreigners Act against the owners who failed to taxable mandatory Form-C to the authorities concerned.

“It was recovered that hotels had allowed overseas nationals to cheque in without submitting Form-C to the Foreigners Registration Office (FRO). Further probe into the cases is underway to uncover guardant and backward linkages,” the constabulary said.

The constabulary urged the owners to “strictly comply with Form-C submission norms erstwhile accommodating overseas nationals”. “Non-compliance of the aforesaid is simply a superior offence and volition invitation strict ineligible action,” the constabulary said.