Houses damaged, Internet shutdown: Odisha's Malkangiri on edge due to clashes over woman's headless body| Top points

Clashes erupted soon after a woman’s headless body was found on Monday, leading to large-scale damage in the Malkangiri district of Odisha.

The Odisha government has placed a ban on access to social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook and X, in the state’s Malkangiri district till 12 PM on December 10 after clashes erupted between two communities following the recovery of a woman's headless body.

Security forces have been deployed in the affected areas to maintain order in Odisha's Malkangiri. (ANI file photo/ Representational)

Officials quoted in an ANI report stated that the suspension, initially imposed for 24 hours on Monday following the eruption of violence, was extended to prevent further tensions.

Malkangiri district collector told ANI that the situation was now peaceful after talks were held between the two communities.

Violence in Odisha’s Malkangiri district| Top points

• According to officials quoted in the report, clashes erupted soon after a woman’s headless body was found on Thursday in the Poteru river, leading to large-scale damage in the district. The district administration said 163 houses were damaged during the violence. Security forces have been deployed in the affected areas to maintain order.
• Officials said that a scientific team, a sniffer-dog squad and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have arrived at the site to search for the missing head and collect evidence related to the killing. The teams are carrying out extensive searches in the area.
• The district administration sought an immediate shutdown of communication to prevent the situation from worsening, after which the state government suspended mobile internet, broadband services, and access to all social media platforms from 6 PM on December 8 to 6 PM on December 9. The restriction has now been extended until 12 PM on December 10
• According to a Home Department notification quoted by ANI, "anti-social elements" were spreading "false, provocative and inflammatory messages" on WhatsApp, Facebook, and X, posing a threat to public order.
• The Malkangiri Collector told reporters that the situation had improved following talks between the two communities. "The situation is peaceful now. An agreement has been reached between the two communities. They have named their respective representatives for today's Peace Committee meeting. We are hopeful that normalcy will return,” he said.
• The state government stated that chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi approved an ex gratia payment of ₹4 lakh for the victim's family. The woman's son has already received ₹30,000. The last rites were performed after the post-mortem earlier on Monday.