MAYABUNDER: Two constables of the the Andaman and Nicobar Police are in trouble for taking six civilians into the Jarawa reserve forest to hunt bats with two air-guns.
It is a crime for non-tribals to enter the Jarawa forest under the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes (PAT) Regulation. The Jarawas are a protected tribe in the Andamans.
The case registered by the Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti (AAJVS) staff on Saturday says that the two policemen, posted at the Chainpur outpost, reportedly went up to the Garjan Tikrey area near Luis Inlet Bay with a group of civilian hunters. They were spotted by AANJVS personnel and reported to their superior officers.
Two large forest areas in the South Andaman and Middle Andaman are reserved for Jarawa tribes as a reserve forest. Entering the forest or interacting with Jarawas is a serious crime in the Andamans.
But the Jarawa reserve forest often attracts poachers because of the abundance of forest resources. Although top police Officials of the North Andamans were not reachable for comment but sources confirmed that both policemen have been suspended by their department.