A Chinese man has been detained for unauthorised travel to Kashmir and Ladakh and is being questioned by multiple security agencies in Srinagar, police have said.

Hu Congtai, 29, is accused of violating visa norms.

Hu arrived in New Delhi on November 19 on a tourist visa valid only for select Buddhist destinations, including Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur, Sarnath, Gaya and Kushinagar.

He, however, flew straight to Leh, where he failed to register himself with the foreigners regional registration office at the airport, an official said.

“He has since been travelling across Ladakh and the Valley. His travels probably did not raise suspicion in Ladakh as he resembles the local people there. He has been in Kashmir for over a week,” the official said.

“Most of his trips, in Ladakh and Kashmir, were to historical Buddhist sites. He stayed in Zanskar for three days, visiting monasteries and other cultural sites...”

The official added: “In Srinagar, he (Hu) visited the ancient Buddhist site at Harwan.”

In addition to Buddhist sites, Hu visited the Shankaracharya Hills, Hazratbal shrine and the Mughal Gardens.

While in Kashmir, the young Chinese made Internet searches about Article 370 and other political developments, the official said. Hu also allegedly obtained an Indian SIM card from the open market.

Hu is being questioned intensively because of the sensitivities involved, the official said. India and China have been locked in a standoff across the Line of Actual Control, with both sides deploying thousands of additional troops.

Authorities suggested that Hu was likely to be deported once the legal formalities were over.

Jammu and Kashmir police and other security agencies are maintainingtight vigil in the region, keeping a watch particularly on the activities of “foreign-looking” visitors.

Last week, Anantnag district police registered a case against a Pahalgam hotel on charge of violating the Immigration and Foreigners Act by failing to report the stay of two visitors from Thailand.

Hotels are required to submit the compulsory online Form C, which requires the registration of foreigners.

Hu is said to have graduated in physics from Boston University in the US. His passport shows he has visited various countries, including New Zealand, Hong Kong, Brazil and Fiji, the official said.