Port Blair, December 31: The Andaman and Nicobar police on December 29, introduced a new police unit and a helpline number exclusively for tourists. Authorities initiated the move around 45 days after the endangered Sentinelese tribe killed American national John Allen Chau. Earlier this month, a delegation of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) headed by its chairman Nand Kumar Sai will also visit the union territory to assess the situation. Narendra Modi's Traditional 'New Look' at Port Blair Ahead of Renaming Ceremony of Andaman Islands Goes Viral.

Meanwhile, reports also surfaced that after Chau’s killing, the central government may reimpose the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) on the visit of the island. The RAP forbids people from visiting prohibited locations without permission. According to the government, 44 incidents of violation of rules and regulations, other than RAP, by foreigners have taken place in the islands in the recent past. The North Sentinel island is one of 29 islands in the Andamans where till June foreigners had to take special permission to visit.

However, after the withdrawal of the RAP, the tourists were still required to take permission from the forest department and the administration of the Andamans as it is protected under two other acts -- protection of aboriginal people and forest acts.

In November, the 27-year-old American national had gone to the island to preach Christianity to people who live secluded from the rest of the world by bribing a local electronics engineer and water sports service provider. As per reports, he also paid local fishermen Rs 25,000 to reach the island. After reaching the island on November 15, he tried to lure them with a football and fish, but they shot him with an arrow that hit his Bible. After which, Chau returned to his boat and fled. Trying his luck the next day, he went back to the tribals, but the tribals killed him.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2018 05:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).