Mobile phone of detained Chinese national sent for forensic examination

The mobile phone of a Chinese national, detained here for "violation" of visa rules, has been sent for a thorough forensic examination as he had visited places of strategic importance in Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday.

Hu Congtai, 29, continues to be under detention as he has not been forthcoming about his reason for visiting the bordering Union territories. He was detained after an Army unit noticed an unusual chatter on the Internet.

The officials found that his browsing history indicated an interest in the deployment of paramilitary forces in the Kashmir valley, prompting them to ascertain the purpose of his visit to the strategically important Zanskar region in Ladakh late last month.

During his stay at Ladakh, he had toured the Zanskar region for three days and visited places of strategic importance in the Himalayan town before landing in Srinagar on December 1, the officials said.

They said the probe agencies want to be sure that he has not deleted any of his browsing history before coming to Srinagar.

Hu had arrived in Delhi on November 19 on a tourist visa, which permitted him to visit Buddhist religious places in Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur, Sarnath, Gaya and Kushi Nagar.

During his extensive questioning, the Chinese national said that he was in the United States for nine years, during which he studies Physics at the Boston University, and loved to roam around the globe, the officials said.

He also feigned ignorance about visa violation, claiming he was unaware that he was restricted from travelling to Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir and had to strictly adhere to the places mentioned in his visa, the officials said.

Hu had leveraged his resemblance to locals and boarded a flight to Leh on November 20 without registering at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office counter located at the Leh airport.

According to the officials, he had arranged for an Indian SIM card from the open market.

While in Srinagar, where he stayed in an unregistered guest house, the Chinese national went to a Buddhist religious place at Harwan, a place where an encounter had left one Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist dead last year.

According to officials, who cited data extracted from his phone, he had also visited Awantipur ruins in South Kashmir, which is located near Victor Force headquarters of the Army in South Kashmir.

During his stay, he also visited different areas of Srinagar, including Shankracharya hills, Hazratbal and Mughal Garden along the Dal Lake.

His phone history showed searches related to CRPF deployments and Article 370 of the Constitution, which was abrogated in August 2019 to end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, the officials said. Hu's passport shows that he has visited various countries, including the US, New Zealand, Brazil and Fiji, and Hong Kong.

The officials said that he had violated the visa regulations and, at best, they could deport him back to his country after thorough investigations.