Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police detained a Chinese national, Hu Congtai, on Sunday, after he visited Ladakh and Srinagar without authorisation. Authorities said the arrest followed the interception of unusual online chatter by the Army, which prompted a security alert in the Kashmir valley.

The 29-year-old had entered India on a tourist visa permitting him to visit only Buddhist religious sites in Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur, Sarnath, Gaya, and Kushinagar. Exploiting his resemblance to the local population, Congtai travelled to Ladakh on 10 November without registering at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Leh.

Investigations revealed that he toured the Zanskar region for three days and visited other areas of interest before flying to Srinagar on 1 December. In S

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