Chinese national detained for illegal stay near Dalai Lama residence in Dharamshala for over four months

Dharamshala: A Chinese national was detained for allegedly living near the residence of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in the high-security McLeod Ganj area of Dharamshala for more than four months without a valid Indian visa, police said on Tuesday.

According to officials, the police's security wing became suspicious after a foreign national arrived at the office of Kangra superintendent of police (SP) and was unable to communicate in either Hindi or English, speaking only Chinese.

The McLeod Ganj police station was immediately informed, following which an investigating team was sent to the spot.

During questioning, the individual produced his passport, identifying him as Lu Wennian (60), a resident of Sichuan province of China, and born on May 10, 1965. His passport was issued in Yunnan, China.

Police said scrutiny revealed that he possessed only a Nepal tourist visa, valid from June 29, 2025, to September 26, 2025 (90 days), and no valid Indian visa.

Further investigation established that Lu Wennian had been staying in the McLeod Ganj area for approximately 130 days, from September 26, 2025, to February 2, 2026, in violation of Indian immigration laws, police said, adding that his stay constitutes a punishable offence under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946.

Confirming the development, Kangra SP Ashok Ratan said a case has been registered and the accused has been taken into custody. Further investigation is underway to determine how he entered India and managed to remain undetected for such a long period.