Andaman tribe kills American national on uncharted island

KOLKATA: John Allen Chau, 26, an American national was killed by the reclusive and protected Sentinelese tribe on November 16 after he ventured into the North Sentinel Island in the Andamans with the help of seven local fishermen, violating strict regulations imposed by the government on interactions with the indigenous people.

Since the Sentinelese, around 60 of whom survive, do not allow outsiders on their island and attack strangers, the local administration deployed boats and helicopters to locate Chau’s body from air and water. Till Wednesday afternoon, the body could not be spotted, said Dependra Pathak, director general of police, Andaman and Nicobar.

A trained paramedic, Chau was trying to be a missionary and spread Christianity on the Islands, police found during their investigation. Alexander KS, 28, a missionary whose family came from Kerala decades ago to settle in the Andamans, was arrested along with the seven fishermen, said Pathak.

Chau had come to the Andamans several times in the past and was in touch with Alexander, who is a qualified electronics engineer, Pathak added. “The seven local fishermen, Chau and Alexander planned the entire expedition and it was camouflaged as a fishing trip,” he said.

“Chau and the fishermen approached North Sentinel Island in boats. On November 14, Chau tried to land on the beach but the Sentinelese got hostile,” said Pathak.

“Chau spent two days in his

boat. On November 16, he managed to reach the beach in a canoe but was shot with arrows. The fishermen watched the entire episode from their boats and fled. They did not inform the authorities,” he added.

The DGP said the fishermen informed Alexander but the missionary, instead of informing the police, wrote a long letter to a friend of Chau .