At the Janglighat jetty near Port Blair. (Express Photo by Ravik Bhattacharya)After several failed attempts to locate and retrieve the body of American John Allen Chau, a joint team of Andaman police, forest officials and tribal welfare department made a second expedition to the North Sentinel Island, this time along with two of the accused to identify the area where the body was spotted.
The team conducted the second expedition to the island on November 23, using the help of the Indian Coast Guard. Andaman DGP Dependra Pathak was himself part of the expedition that took place on Friday. However, they retreated after spotting armed Sentinelese tribesmen along the shoreline.
Vijay Singh, PRO Police said, “The fresh expedition to North Sentinel Island was undertaken, our DGP was present in the expedition. The team spotted the armed tribals. It is their island and we saw them.”
John Allen ChauAnother senior police official said, “Two accused were taken along to pinpoint the area along the shoreline where Chau landed in the morning of November 15 and the spot where they spotted his body in the morning of November 17.”
“We went in the morning and returned in the evening. While we approached the island, keeping a safe distance, we could spot some of the tribals with bows and arrows using our binoculars. They were looking right towards us. Our mission was not to disturb the tribes….
