ANDAMAN SHEEKHA

The True Mirror of A & N Islands

11 Myanmarese Poachers Captured off Tarmugli Island

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Port Blair, Feb 24: Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC), continuing its active and effective anti-poaching operations as part of Coastal Security measures in the Andaman Sea region, apprehended 11 Myanmarese poachers alongwith the boat off Tarmugli Island on 24 Feb 12 in a well coordinated operation wherein Components of ANC and Police Marine Force (PMF) promptly responded to the call to safe guard our EEZ.

On the basis of information received from local fisherman, Coast Guard Dornier was sent on surveillance sortie in North Group of Islands and Indian Naval Ship LCU-36 on patrolling to sanitize the area off Tarmugli Island. Simultaneously, a platoon from the Army was also dispatched from Birchgunj to Pongi Balu jetty to board Police Marine Force boat for Anti Poaching Operation along with Police team. To enhance the air effort, Indian Naval Chetak was also launched in armed configuration for sea-air coordinated search, after taking over from Coast Guard Dornier.

On receipt of the information from the Naval Aircraft, the Anti Poaching Team chased the poachers and apprehended 11 poachers with the boat at 1535 hrs. On preliminary interrogation, it was revealed that the poachers are from Myanmar and intruded into Indian EEZ for poaching activity. All apprehended poachers alongwith boat were brought to PS Humfrigunj for legal formalities and joint interrogation.

Inferior quality Desk and Bench sent to GSSS Swadesh Nagar

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Villagers and students smell rat in school furniture deal

N & M Correspondent

Swadesh Nagar, Feb 22: A few months after Andaman Sheekha had reported about the condition of Government Swadesh Nagar School, Middle Andaman, where students are made to sit on the floor. Now the Education Department has sent inferior quality materials, for assembling those into desks and benches for the school, villagers allege.

According to information received here a few days back workers of a private furniture shop of Bhatu Basti, which got the tender for supply of furniture for the school, arrived at Swadesh Nagar Schools with truck load of furniture parts.

According to Villagers and PRI members of the area, most of the parts of the furniture look horrible thin and feeble. The Timber used for the furniture is also believed to be of inferior quality and with that the workers are reportedly fixing lowest quality of plywood.

But as the workers started assembling the furniture, entire village started to protest. Infact a few parents had also approached officials of Directorate of Education but they did not get any reply yet.

Even the principal of the school have accepted on record that the quality of the timber and plywood being used for school furniture are of inferior quality. The principal has also informed the villagers that the matter has been informed to the top officials of Education Department.

When Andaman Sheekha Correspondent contacted the owner of the Private Furniture shop, the owner’s reply shocked everybody.

“I accept that the quality of timber is not good but soon these inferior quality desks and benches will be replaced by us with superior quality desks and benches,” the owner replied.

But everybody knows that in government tender works promises like this are never kept. As soon as the payment for these furniture will be made and kick backs will be paid back, everybody will forget about these furniture. After few months students will again have to sit on floor while a few others at Port Blair will make merry with the easy money earned from this deal.

To clear all doubts Andaman Sheekha is publishing photographs of these desks and benches.

Meanwhile talking to Andaman Sheekha the Secretary of Parents Teachers Association of the School has said that PTA strongly condemns the move of Education Department to send inferior quality furniture for their children.

“The desk and benches are horrible weak and our children are afraid of using them. We demand an inquiry by Anti-Corruption Department,” Amrit Lal Mistry, the Secretary of PTA association added.

Policemen Under Attack: Head Constable Fires Two Bullets in Self Defence

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Port Blair, Feb 22: A Police team on duty to execute Court warrants on two accused brothers was attacked by the accused and his family members in South Point village in Port Blair this morning.

Under murderous attack, a head constable fired two shots in the air in self defence, one of which hit the attacker Sheikh Murtaza’s left knee.

The policeman, HC Sanjay Kujur, has suffered severe head injuries. Both are admitted in GB Pant Hospital.

Sheikh Murtaza and his brother Mujibul are accused in 7 and 8 cases of burglary and house theft respectively and are facing trial in the Court. The Hon’ble Court had issued non-bailable warrants in their names and directed the Police to produce the warrantees for trial.

Getting information that Sheikh Murtaza, absconding for a long time, has come back to the Islands, a police team of P.S. Aberdeen had gone to execute the Court Warrant when the warrantee resisted arrest and his family members comprising of his father, mother and four brothers attacked the policemen with dah, rods and wooden logs. HC Sanjay Kujur and two other policemen were brutally assaulted. HC Sanjay has suffered injuries in head, shoulders, arms and palm, among others.

As they finally managed to free themselves, they were chased by the attackers with dah and wooden logs. In self defence, the policeman fired two shots from his service pistol in the air, one of which struck the attacker Sheikh Murtaza in the knee. On a call to PCR, a police team arrived at the spot immediately and brought him to hospital.

A case crime no. 70/12 dated 22/02/12 u/s 307/332/333/186/189/224/225/ 147/148/149 IPC has been registered in P.S. Aberdeen against the attackers for attempt to murder, causing grievous hurt to deter public servants from discharge of their duty, resistance to lawful apprehension, rioting with deadly weapons etc. The assaulter brothers Sheikh Mustafa and Sheikh Salman have been arrested along with their father Sheikh Safiul and mother Smt. Marzina Begum, while Murtaza is admitted in hospital. Further investigation is in progress.

Lady immolates herself out of humiliation

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N & M Correspondent
Pinaki Nagar, M/Andaman, Feb 22: Lakhi Halder, w/o Milan Halder, a resident of Pinaki Nagar today immolated herself out of frustration and humiliation. According to information received here a fellow villager of Pinaki Nagar was allegedly spreading rumours about her since a long time. Because of the rumours the lady was under tremendous pressure of society, which finally resulted in this extreme step. Villagers of Pinaki Nagar and Middle Andaman are now demand strict action against the person who had spread rumous about the lady to spoil her image in the village.

Constable who video-graphed Jarawa women arrested

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Port Blair, Feb 21: The Andaman and Nicobar Police has suspended another Police Constable in connection with the second video of semi-naked Jarawa Dance, which were broadcast in national and international media.

“During the course of investigation, the video was minutely inspected. All the five victims belonging to the Jarawa tribe were identified with the help of the personnel of Andaman Aadim Janjati Vikas Samiti (AAJVS) and their statements recorded. Also, in the said video, a person in khaki uniform was seen sitting on the roadside holding a
mobile phone in his hand,” SBS Tyagi the Superintendent of Police of South Andaman District said in a press release.

During investigation police department identified the first police constable as PC-1734 Claton, who was suspended last month.

“During the course of further investigation, the old records of Jarawa Protection Post (JPP) Jirkatang were scrutinized and names of all those suspected police personnel, who had performed duty with PC/1734 Claton, during the period in which the former was posted at JPP Jirkatang, were short listed. Accordingly, 17 police and Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn) personnel were taken to Potatang on the Andaman Trunk Road for test identification parade. But the victims didn’t identify any of the personnel to be involved in the shooting of the video,” the SP added.

The records were again scrutinized considering the fact that PC/1734 Claton was posted at JPP Jirkatang for more than four years since July, 2007 to November, 2011.

“The names of 40 police personnel were short listed. These suspected police personnel were called from different parts of these Islands where they were posted and a test identification parade was held on 19/02/2012 at Jirkatang no -9 on
the sidelines of the Andaman Trunk Road with the help of AAJVS staff. The efforts of the A&N Police finally yielded fruit this time and all three victims who were asked to identify the culprit amongst the group of 30 suspected police personnel, individually identified PC/2423 Silvarious Kindo as the culprit who asked the victims to dance and video recorded them,” Tyagi said.

PC/2423 Silvarious Kindo was interrogated at length following the identification by the victims.

The investigation reveals that the video was possibly shot in the months of July to November, 2007.

“The said video, which was broadcast on the news channels, has also been sent for forensic examination to ascertain its date of recording and the device used to record the same. The police constable PC/2423 Silvarious Kindo has been placed under suspension for his role in video recording the Jarawa women and he has also been arrested,” the SP informed.

Further investigations are in progress and efforts are still being made by A & N Police to identify the persons in camaflouge uniform seen in the first video, which was possibly shot on 25th September 2008.

Greenpeace Exposes pirate fishing practices off Andaman coast

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Port Blair, Feb 19: During its ongoing month long expedition to highlight the urgent need for marine conservation in India, activists from the Greenpeace ship MY Esperanza today encountered four Burmese vessels fishing illegally in the Indian economic exclusive zone (EEZ) off the Andaman Islands coast.

“The vessels did not have proper registration documents or a clearly displayed name. Their catch consisted of mainly shark and some yellow fin tuna. All four vessels left for Burmese waters as soon as the Esperanza caught up with them and contacted them,” Areeba Hamid, Greenpeace India Oceans Campaigner said in a press release today.

Indian law only permits Indian vessels in its national waters and the EEZ.

“The abundant presence of illegal foreign vessels is again proof of the gaping loopholes in the failing Indian governance of their marine waters. Greenpeace called on the Indian Coast Guards to investigate these illegally operating fishing vessels and will continue to engage with them to redress the situation,” Areeba added.

India’s marine management has been riddled with irregularities and poor enforcement which has resulted in overfishing and further degradation of India’s oceans.

“This not only leads to spread of illegal and unsustainable fishing practices in the Indian EEZ , but also loss of livelihoods for the Indian fishermen since the fish caught by the foreign vessels goes unreported and unaccounted for. The whole of February, the biggest and fastest Greenpeace ship investigates the threats posed to our oceans and therefore the livelihoods of hundreds of millions dependent on them,” she added.

An estimated 10 to 12 million people in India rely on fisheries for food or employment, either directly or indirectly. The losses accrued from IUU fishing in the Indian EEZ, are estimated between $250 to $ 320 million annually.

“The occurrence of these illegal vessels is a perfect example of an industry that continues the unsustainable plunder of our oceans. To demonstrate that India is serious about controlling its own fishing industry and protect coastal communities, it needs to put an immediate end to practices of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing going on in our EEZ” Areeba added.

The Ministry of Agriculture has to put in place an effective fisheries management plan which is based on a sustainable approach, secures the livelihoods of millions, protects fragile marine ecosystems and stops pirate fishing.

“As part of its commitment to biodiversity conservation, India will host the eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October 2012. As host nation, COP 11 is an opportunity for India to be a progressive and important player on the global conservation stage. But in order to be a true ocean conservation champion, India should take measures to protect its own territorial waters, on which millions depend upon, right now,” Hamid said.

Policeman seen in Jarawa video identified

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Port Blair, Feb 08: In connection with the second video appearing in the visual media and news channels where a policeman is seen watching Jarawa women dance, a case has been registered and efforts have been made to identify the Jarawa women and the policeman appearing in the video. The policeman seen sitting while the Jarawa women are made to dance on the road for an unknown videographer, though partially visible, has been identified to be one PC Claton. On perusal of the video showing PC Claton it is clearly seen that he is not preventing the recording. He has been placed under suspension for dereliction in the discharge of his duties. A departmental enquiry has also been initiated against him. Vigorous efforts are being made to identify the other person who was video filming the protected Jarawa tribe in the said video.

Fisherman’s body found near Junglighat jetty

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Port Blair, Feb 08: Coast Guard divers today recovered body of a mainland fisherman from Junglighat Fishermen Jetty. According to reports available here yesterday night the fisherman, Mr. Sebathaiah was one guard duty of his fishing boat, which had come to Port Blair from Kanyakumari. Sources told police that Sebathaiah was drunk badly, when he was last seen and today when his colleagues could not trace him out, they contacted police. According to colleagues they heard a sound last night, as if something had fallen into the sea from the boat but they could trace out nothing at night.

Later police called Coast Guard divers to look for the body which was recovered this evening. According to sources there were no sign of any kind of injury on the body.

Road Accident at Atlanta Point, one injured

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Staff Reporter
Port Blair, Feb 08: One person got serious injuries today when his bike was allegedly hit by a SUV this evening near Atlanta Point Parking area of Port Blair. The bike rider is said to be a Police Radio Operator and was rushed to G B Pant Hospital immediately. Further details are awaited.

Senior Police Officers Meet Tour Operators on ‘Jarawa Video’ issue

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Staff Reporter
Port Blair, Feb 07: The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sanjay Beniwal, IPS and Superintendent of Police, South Andaman, Mr. SBS Tyagi today had a 50 minutes long meeting with tour operators of A & N Nicobar at the conference room of SP office.

“Unlike the last meeting, where the DGP had verbally lashed out at the tour operators on the issue of Jarawa Tourism, this meeting was quite peaceful and fruitful,” a tour operator told Andaman Sheekha after coming out of the meeting.

The senior police officials urged the tour operators to give suggestions about how to put a total end to so called ‘Jarawa Tourism’ and ‘Human Safari’ in Andaman and Nicobar Islands jointly by police and tour operators. Tour Operators were urged to submit suggestions to police department. “This kind of meeting will surely yield fruitful results. We were always against Human Safari and now we can work jointly with Police Department to stop any such effort to conduct Huaman Safari, by any other person,” said the tour operator.