Bhubaneswar: The Malkangiri administration suspended internet services for 24 hours, starting at 6 pm on Monday, as situation continued to be tense but under control following a group clash over the alleged murder of a tribal woman whose headless body was recovered from a river.
Earlier, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of BNS were clamped within 10-km radius of two ‘troubled’ villages in this Odisha district. Border Security Force (BSF) and armed police personnel were also deployed to maintain law and order.
According to sources, Lake Podiami (55), a woman belonging to Koya tribe of Rakhelguda village under Korukonda police limits, went missing on December 3 and her headless body, which was identified by clothing, was found in the Poteru river a day later. One Subharanjan Mondal (45) of MV-26 was arrested in connection with the case, which is suspected to be the fallout of a land dispute.
On Sunday afternoon, nearly 5,000 people, reportedly armed with traditional weapons including axes, bows and arrows, marched to MV-26, where around 100 Bengali families reside, and damaged and set houses on fire and destroyed vehicles.
On being informed, four fire brigade teams rushed to the village to extinguish the flames. DIG (south western), Kanwar Vishal Singh, Malkangiri Collector Somesh Kumar Upadhyay and SP Vinodh Patil H also visited the affected areas and held a peace committee meeting, involving both the groups.
“We are currently in MV-26 village with sufficient forces. Our priority is to maintain peace. In one case, the accused has been apprehended and will be arrested and forwarded. I request everyone to help maintain peace. We have sufficient forces present, including BSF and other police units. We will also conduct a flag march…” the SP told the media.
The Bengali community in MV-26 said that they had anticipated an attack after the murder., dubbing it as a targeted violence against Bengalis. Police, however, have dismissed the ethnic clash claims.
