A Chinese national, Hu Congtai, 29, had travelled through Ladakh and Kashmir for over two weeks before he was detained by authorities on Monday. His mobile phone has been sent for forensic examination after officials picked up suspicious activity on it.
Officials said that the man had travelled to strategic places of importance in the region.
When questioned, Hu reportedly did not give clear answers about the purpose of his visits to the border regions. He was taken into custody after an army unit found that Hu was searching online for information regarding the deployment of the CRPF and Article 370 of the Constitution, which was abrogated in August 2019 to end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
The online activity raised suspicions about his trip to the Zanskar region in Ladakh, which is considered strategically important. He stayed here for three days before travelling to Srinagar on December 1.
Officials are now examining whether Hu deleted some of his digital history before he reached Srinagar.
Hu is originally from Shenzhen province in Guangdong province.
Hu had arrived in Delhi on November 19 on a tourist visa, which allows visits to Buddhist sites in Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur, Sarnath, Gaya and Kushinagar. However, it was found that he had bypassed the restriction and flown to Leh on November 20 without registering with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office at the airport.
He had also obtained an Indian SIM card from an open market and stayed in an unregistered guest house in Srinagar.
Places he visited include Harwan, Awantipora ruins near the Army’s Victor Force headquarters, Shankaracharya Hill, Hazratbal and the Mughal Gardens.
His passport shows that he has a history of travelling to many countries, including the United States, New Zealand, Brazil, Fiji and Hong Kong.
When questioned, Hu claimed that he spent nine years in the United States studying physics at Boston University and that he had an interest in travelling. He also said he was unaware of the visa restriction that prevented him from visiting Ladakh and Jammu, and Kashmir.
Officials said that Hu would be deported as soon as the investigation is complete.
