Orissa's tribal-dominated Koraput district remained tense on Tuesday after a man was killed in a clash between two groups, police said.
The Maoist-backed Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha, a tribal organisation that forcibly occupied hundreds of acres of farmland from non-tribals in the district a few months ago, is now divided into two warring groups.
While one group has a strong presence in Bandhugaon block, the other is dominant in the block of Narayanpatna.
Tension gripped over 100 villages under both blocks after Suresh Pindi, a tribal villager, sustained injuries in a clash between the two groups on Sunday. He succumbed to his injuries on Monday.
The group which has a strong presence in Narayanpatna block has planned a massive rally in the region on Tuesday. Fearing further trouble, hundreds of local residents have fled their homes, police said.
"We are keeping a close watch on the situation. Adequate policemen have been deployed in the region," Inspector General of Police Sanjeeb Panda told IANS.
"They include three companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and three platoons of the state police," he said.
The district headquarters of Koraput is about 500 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.
The district headquarters of Koraput is about 500 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.