Visa expired, marriage plans buy time in Kullu
Shimla, Oct 6,
Himachal Pradesh Police recently detained a Sudanese national in Kullu district for allegedly overstaying in India after the expiry of his visa and travel documents, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The foreign national, who had been staying at a tourist resort in Kullu, was taken into police custody and kept there overnight after authorities found that his authorised period of stay had expired.
Police subsequently granted him a one-month period of relief after he explained that he had remained in India for bona fide personal reasons and intended to solemnise his marriage with an Indian woman in Solan district, the source said.
According to the source, the Sudanese national is expected to complete the marriage formalities during this period and thereafter approach the Sudanese Embassy and Indian immigration authorities for completion of the necessary documentation and his return to Sudan through the prescribed procedure.
The case comes amid increased scrutiny of foreign nationals staying in Himachal Pradesh, particularly in tourist destinations such as Kullu and Kangra, following judicial directions concerning registration of cases relating to drug use and rave parties.
A sizeable number of foreign nationals stay in Kullu and Kangra, many of them on tourist visas. Officials have been maintaining closer scrutiny of their visa status and activities amid concerns over violations of immigration and other laws.
A substantial number of foreign visitors in the state are Nationals of Israel, although foreign tourists from several other countries also regularly stay in the major tourist centres.
Officials have not publicly disclosed further details of the Sudanese national or indicated whether any criminal case has been registered against him for the alleged visa violation.
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