Owner of J&K hotel booked for violating Foreigners Act

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Police have booked the owner of a hotel in Patnitop in Ramban district for allegedly violating provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946, by not reporting the stay of a guest from Finland.

Police said the accused, Shamsher Singh Manas , owner of Hotel Pine Heritage , had not filed the mandatory online form — ‘Form-C’ — intimating Foreigners Registration Office authorities about the stay of Finnish national Tuuli Lehmusjaervi at his property from July 17-Aug 29.

“Despite the legal obligation, the hotel owner failed to submit the form to the FRO within the stipulated time period. This constitutes a violation of Sections 7 and 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, which requires accommodation providers to report the stay of foreign guests on their properties,” a Ramban Police spokesperson said Sunday.

The FIR was registered at Batote PS. Section 7 of the Act mandates the filing of Form-C by accommodation providers for all foreign guests on govt websites “indianfrro.gov.in” or “boi.gov.in”. “Non-conformity may attract imprisonment up to five years and/or a fine,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson stated that hoteliers, guesthouse owners, and landlords accommodating foreign nationals must strictly adhere to the legal procedures for reporting their visit or stay to authorities. He warned that any lapse would invite action and urged that violations be reported to the Police Control Room, Ramban.