Srinagar Launches Major Crackdown on Illegal Foreign Stays Following Chinese National's Detention

Srinagar:

Authorities have initiated a comprehensive sweep of houseboats, hotels, and guesthouses across Srinagar to address illegal stays of foreign nationals in Jammu and Kashmir. This operation commenced following the detention of a Chinese citizen near Srinagar airport. During the inspections, police discovered numerous foreign nationals residing without valid authorization or proper notification to the Foreigners Registration Office (FRO).

The police are taking stringent legal measures against property owners, including hotels, houseboats, and guesthouses that have violated the mandatory Form-C reporting requirements under the Immigration & Foreigners Act.

According to police sources, a 29-year-old Chinese national identified as Hu Congtai was detained near Srinagar airport on Sunday. Investigations revealed he had previously visited Ladakh without obtaining necessary permissions or registering with the Foreigners Registration Offices in either Leh or Srinagar.

Hu arrived in Delhi on November 19 and traveled to Leh the following day. During his time in Ladakh, he explored various locations, including Zanskar.

Sources indicated that security agencies intercepted unusual communications and alerted police about Hu before he could depart. After investigating his unauthorized stay at a guesthouse, authorities launched an extensive crackdown on accommodation facilities throughout Srinagar today.

In the Lal Bazar area, police found an Israeli citizen, Starobinsky Lior, along with several others staying in a guesthouse without proper Form-C compliance. The management had deliberately concealed this information and avoided the mandatory online Form-C reporting procedure, according to police statements.

Multiple First Information Reports citing violations of the Immigration and Foreigners Act have been registered against several houseboat operators in Dal Lake for hosting international visitors from Taiwan, Russia, Romania, and Spain without proper registration or notification to the Foreigners Registration Office.

In Rajbagh area, at least three hotels permitted foreign nationals to check in without submitting Form-C to the FRO. Similarly, in the Khanyar area, police identified a hotel violating Form-C reporting requirements.

"Despite repeated instructions, the management failed to provide any evidence of Form-C submission. Consequently, FIR No. 57/2025 was registered under relevant legal provisions at Police Station Khanyar," stated police officials.

Investigations into these cases continue as authorities work to "uncover forward and backward linkages." The Srinagar Police have emphasized that all accommodation providers, including hotels, guesthouses, houseboats, and homestays, must strictly adhere to Form-C submission protocols when hosting foreign nationals. They warned that non-compliance constitutes a serious offense and will result in strict legal consequences.