By Hakeem Irfan Rashid, SRINAGAR: 13 Apr 2020
Jammu and Kashmir police registered an FIR against houseboat owner in Dal Lake of Srinagar for hiding whereabouts of a British citizen he was hosting since March 15.
The foreign tourist has reached to Valley via Srinagar-Jammu Highway and had managed to skip the Foreigner Registration Offices of both J&K tourism and J&K police in Srinagar. Last week when the foreigner was found he was immediately taken to the hospital for checkup where his condition was stated to be stable and was directed to remain in quarantine.
J&K police accidentally found the foreigner on the houseboat in Dal Lake, last week, when one of their officials was on a different assignment inside the Lake. The FIR 45/2020 has been registered at Nehru Park police station under sections 269 and 188 of IPC.
J&K administration on March 17, 2020 had issued an order banning entry of all foreigners into Kashmir. Foreign tourists already present in Kashmir were directed to leave immediately and the tourism operators were asked to report about presence of any foreigners as well. A week later, on March 24, Government of India imposed a 21 days lockdown to break the chain, ensure social isolation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We weren’t aware of this British person as he had come here by road and didn’t register anywhere. Now, we found him, action was taken accordingly,” Director Tourism Kashmir, Nisar Wani told ET. He said that a US national had reached Pahalgam in southern Kashmir around March 18 and she was immediately traced and sent back, even though it took a while to convince her about the prevailing situation.
“Government is aware these foreigners and they have been kept under isolation and protocal has been followed,” a senior official in J&K administration told ET.
All of them, another official said have been kept under surveillance and quarantine at their respective hotels and houseboats. Most of them have tested negative for COVID-19, while as result of few is awaited. However, Wani didn’t confirm this number and officials in the administration didn’t respond to calls and messages.
“We have some foreigners here who have arrived in December and January and are working here,” said Wani.
J&K tourism department had hired a US national as snow safety officer, who arrived in Kashmir on December 28 and is currently staying in Gulmarg. At least three foreigners, working on a project in Kunzer are also present in Kashmir. They have been put into isolation at a hotel there. Another Brazilian woman is staying in a private accommodation in Munawarabad Srinagar and she has also been put under quarantine.
