Andaman journalist arrested, allegedly over tweet related to coronavirus

A journalist in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been summoned by the police over a social media post asking why families are being quarantined for telephone calls with Covid-19 patients.

According to the Andaman Chronicle, journalist Zubair Ahmed will be produced in front of a court soon.

Zubair was referring to an April 26 report in the Andaman Chronicle. According to the News Minute, four members of a family in Haddo were forced to remain in home quarantine after one of them telephoned a relative who had tested positive for coronavirus.

Denis Giles, the editor of the Andaman Chronicle, told the News Minute that "four people from Bambooflat police station reached Zubair’s home and told him he had been summoned to the Aberdeen police station as the superintendent of police there wanted to question him about his tweet."

Giles added: "Zubair called me and told me that he had been picked up by the police. A special ferry was arranged to take him to the police station...I, however, felt suspicious and asked him to clarify why he was being taken. I heard him speak to someone, and after that I was not able to get in touch with him, all calls were getting forwarded. An hour later we found he had been arrested."

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