Malkangiri clash: Normalcy limps back; 300 people return home

Malkangiri (Odisha), Dec 10 (PTI) Normalcy limped back to a violence-hit village in Odisha’s Malkangiri district as around 300 residents who had fled a large-scale attack on December 7 returned home on Wednesday, officials said.

However, the authorities extended the suspension of internet services in the entire district for another 24 hours till Thursday noon.

The violence erupted after the headless body of 51-year-old Lake Podiami, a tribal woman from Rakhelguda, was recovered from the Poteru riverbank on December 4. She had been missing since December 1.

Enraged over the killing, local tribal residents vandalised nearly 200 houses in the Bengali settlement and set several hosues on fire, forcing a large number of residents to flee, the police said.

While the woman’s body was laid to rest on December 9, her severed head was recovered on Wednesday from the same riverbank about 15 km from where the torso was found.

It has been handed over to the family after postmortem and forensic examinations, they said.

Malkangiri district Collector Somesh Kumar Upadhyay told PTI that residents returned following a peace committee meeting on Tuesday night.

“Around 300 residents of MV-26 village who had left their houses returned after both tribals and Bengali settlers agreed to shun violence and restore peace. We have opened a free kitchen and are providing food, blankets and other essentials to the affected people,” he said.

He added that damage assessment is underway.

“Some houses and vehicles were also burnt. Assistance will be provided as per rules,” Upadhyay said.

The collector said there has been no violence in the area for the past 50 hours, though prohibitory orders remain in force in the two villages.

Meanwhile, the state home department on Wednesday extended the suspension of internet services in Malkangiri district for another 24 hours till Thursday noon, officials said.

Authorities have installed several CCTV cameras in MV-26 and other sensitive locations under Korkonda police station to prevent further unrest.

Several companies of BSF and Odisha State Armed Police personnel have been deployed.

Police have arrested Subha Ranjan Mandal (42) on the charge of killing the tribal woman, an incident that triggered the widespread violence in the district. PTI COR AAM RG AAM NN