Two persons questioned in Jarawa tribe video case

Andaman and Nicobar Police have questioned two persons including the taxi driver who drove the Observor journalist through the jungles on the pretext of showing him Jarawa tribal people and also arrange for their photography discreetly.

According to official sources, the two persons Rajesh Vyas alias Raju, proprietor of Vyas Brothers gift shop and Guddu, the taxi driver, featuring in the article which appeared in The Observer were questioned by Police.

During the course of their interrogation, Guddu said that he had arranged for taking the reporter of the British newspaper to different places in Port Blair and also to Middle Strait through Andaman Truck Road.

Further, Vyas said he arranged the vehicle and driver for the reporter of the Observer and also told the reporter that he would organize Jarawa tourism and the photography of the Jarawas for a handsome amount.

Police claimed that he was trying to dupe the foreigner by hiking the amount on the pretext of paying the police.

Various police teams are questioning several tour operators and taxi drivers of the city in an effort to track down the source of the video, the sources said.

Police have carried out searches at various video, CD and souvenir shops in the city and adjoining areas to recover any offensive video concerning the Jarawas.

The controversial video showing semi-naked Jarawa tribe women dancing before tourists was shot sometime between September and October 2008.

The issue had sparked controversy when The Observer reported the incident and also uploaded a video and a recorded conversation between the journalist of the newspaper and a purported travel agent.