SRINAGAR: While the French embassy in New Delhi has formally contacted the Jammu and Kashmir police a day after French businessman, who posed as freelance journalist Paul Comiti, was arrested in Srinagar for violating Visa norms. According to sources, the police produced Comiti in a Srinagar local court where the government prosecutor argued that the French man had violated visa norms as he was on a business trip to India.
The court however, remanded the accused French man to police custody till December 16, an official said.
"The French Embassy's Consular section head met Comiti, who is in police custody," a police source said. "The French official expressed satisfaction about the journalist's physical as well as mental condition and said proper legal course was being followed under Indian law."
An FIR was registered against Comiti at Police Station Kothibagh. It is learnt, the police had also intimated the French embassy about the activities of Comiti in Kashmir.
The French citizen Comiti, was under the scanner of government agencies for many days, which the police had even intimated to the French embassy in New Delhi, the police officer said.
"He was moving around meeting many people from the Kashmiri secessionists and those injured during the 2016 unrest," the source said.
The police official said that Comiti was in valley on a "business visa", not on a journalist visa.
A senior police said that the French man was formally summoned to explain his activities in Kashmir but he refused to present himself. So, he was arrested.
The court however, remanded the accused French man to police custody till December 16, an official said.
"The French Embassy's Consular section head met Comiti, who is in police custody," a police source said. "The French official expressed satisfaction about the journalist's physical as well as mental condition and said proper legal course was being followed under Indian law."
An FIR was registered against Comiti at Police Station Kothibagh. It is learnt, the police had also intimated the French embassy about the activities of Comiti in Kashmir.
The French citizen Comiti, was under the scanner of government agencies for many days, which the police had even intimated to the French embassy in New Delhi, the police officer said.
"He was moving around meeting many people from the Kashmiri secessionists and those injured during the 2016 unrest," the source said.
The police official said that Comiti was in valley on a "business visa", not on a journalist visa.
A senior police said that the French man was formally summoned to explain his activities in Kashmir but he refused to present himself. So, he was arrested.
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