FIR alleges Pahalgam hotel concealed accommodation status of foreigners, mainly British

SRINAGAR: Police on Monday registered an FIR against a hotel in J&K’s Pahalgam for allegedly concealing the accommodation of foreign guests, mostly British citizens.The case was filed against the Lady Misty Hill Hotel after police discovered during a routine inspection that 23 foreigners, 19 of whom were British citizens, had checked into the hotel on the night of March 22.Police said the hotel management deliberately failed to notify the local police station of the guest’s condition and failed to submit mandatory Form C under the Aliens and Immigration Act, breaching prescribed security regulations.Enforcement of the Foreigners and Immigration Act has been stepped up in the Kashmir Valley following last year’s Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. In December last year, a Chinese national was being questioned for allegedly violating visa regulations by traveling to J&K and Ladakh without permission, while the hotel where the person was staying was booked for not submitting Form C.Form C must be submitted to the Alien Registration Office and can be completed online.In an advisory issued last year, the police asked all hotels, guesthouses, houseboats and homestay operators to strictly adhere to the Form C submission norms for foreigners. “Failure to comply is a serious offense and will result in severe legal action,” the advisory said.