ST Commission to investigate American tourist killing

New Delhi, Nov 28 (IANS) National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) would visit the Andaman & Nicobar Islands from December 4-6 to investigate the killing of American tourist John Allen Chau allegedly by an isolated Sentinelese tribe in the Andamans last week, Tribal Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday.

NCST Chairperson Nand Kumar Sai said the vulnerability of Sentinelese tribes in North Sentinel Island had increased many fold, and any aggressive steps to recover the body would adversely disturb the peace and tranquillity in the island.

The NCST on Wednesday reviewed the reports on the killing incident submitted by Union Home Ministry and the A&N Administration. 

Sai said all necessary steps must be taken by the government to maintain "Inviolability of North Sentinel Island".

The Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands has already constituted a committee to review the institutional mechanism to prevent the landing of any foreign national in the North Sentinel Island.

The five-member committee under the chairmanship of Secretary (Tribal Welfare) of the A&N Administration would also suggest measures to prevent such incidents in future.