Video showing Jarawa women shot in Sept-Oct 2008

The controversial video showing semi-naked Jarawa tribe women dancing before tourists was shot sometime in September-October 2008 and the police sought the help of the Defence establishment in ascertaining the identity of the man shown in the film in Army fatigue.

According to sources privy to the probe, the police sought the help of Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti (AAJVS), the interface between the local administration and tribals, which helped identify the dancing women and children.

The members of AAJVS could establish the identity after talking to the tribal people who had danced in front of the tourists and that the video was shot sometime in September-October 2008.

The police had expanded the pixels of the video to help the members of AAJVS identify the tribal people and later various teams of the Samiti fanned into the jungles of South Andaman to trace them, the sources said.

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

The police also sought the help of Defence officials in the islands to help identify the man who appeared in Army dress on the video.

Andaman Police registered a case on January 12 against unnamed persons in connection with the shooting and uploading of the video under the Indian Penal Code, Information and Technology Act and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes and Protection of Aboriginal Tribes.