Srinagar, March 23 (NationPress) - Authorities in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir announced on Monday that a formal complaint has been lodged against a hotel in Pahalgam for not reporting the accommodation of 23 foreign guests.

A police representative stated that the hotel is facing charges under the Immigration and Foreigners Act for neglecting to inform about the presence of these foreign nationals, which includes 19 individuals from the UK.

Hotels are mandated to complete the online Form C, which is necessary for registering foreign visitors. During a routine inspection in the Dehwatoo area of Pahalgam, officials discovered that 23 foreign nationals, comprising 19 British citizens, had checked into Hotel Misty Mountains Laddi on the evening of March 22.

“The management of the hotel deliberately hid their stay from the Police Station Pahalgam and failed to file the compulsory Form ‘C’, thereby breaching the stipulations of the Foreigners and Immigration Act, 2025, and undermining established security protocols,” the police stated.

As a result, a complaint was registered under the relevant legal provisions at Police Station Pahalgam, and an investigation has commenced.

The Anantnag police have urged all hotel proprietors to strictly adhere to the legal obligations concerning the reporting of foreign guests.

In late 2025, a Chinese citizen, Hu Congtai, was apprehended for unlawfully traveling to Ladakh and Kashmir without the necessary permits, violating his visa terms. Reports indicate no widespread issue regarding illegal stays by Chinese nationals in Ladakh.

Hu had arrived in New Delhi on a legitimate tourist visa that restricted his travel to specific Buddhist circuit locations (like Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur, etc.), and Ladakh was not included among the approved destinations.

On November 20, 2025, he traveled to Leh, Ladakh, without registering at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) counter, which is a legal requirement for all foreign visitors.

Security services were alerted by “unusual internet activity” and discovered that his phone records included searches related to Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployments and Article 370. Additionally, he visited strategically sensitive areas near military sites.

Following an extensive investigation, Hu Congtai was deported back to Hong Kong and banned from re-entering. Authorities also initiated a crackdown on local hotels and guesthouses that failed to submit the required Form C for foreign guests.