Bail Denied for US National in Sentinel Island Intrusion Case

A 24-year-old US national, Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, was denied bail by a Port Blair court after being charged with entering a prohibited tribal reserve area in the North Sentinel Island. Despite his arrest on March 31, his judicial custody has been extended until his next court appearance on April 17.

A court in Port Blair has rejected the bail request of a US citizen, Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, arrested for allegedly trespassing into a prohibited area in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Polyakov, accused of entering the North Sentinel Island—a restricted tribal area—was apprehended on March 31, following an attempted outreach to its isolated inhabitants. His judicial custody has now been extended until April 17.

Upon his arrival on March 26, Polyakov traveled to the island on March 29. He briefly landed to leave offerings for the Sentinelese, a community known for their hostility to outsiders. An FIR was filed under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and local tribal protection laws.

(With inputs from agencies.)