Malkangiri: The situation in the strife-torn Malkangiri district remains under tight control, though tense, after violent group clashes on Sunday led to the destruction of property and a major law and order crisis. The violence, which saw tribal groups target residents of MV-26 village, was triggered by the recent murder of a tribal woman, Lake Podiami, whose headless body was recovered last week.
In a move to take direct stock of the volatile situation and restore public confidence, a high-level team of officials, including Director General of Police Y B Khurania, Special Director General of Police (Maoist Operations) Sanjeeb Panda, and the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) for the Southern Division, visited the affected areas on Monday.
The officials met with local police and security forces deployed in the area, reviewed the security arrangements, and held discussions with members of both the tribal community from Rakhelguda village and the Bengali community residing in MV-26. The visit underscored the urgency with which the state administration is treating the matter.
The violent incident unfolded on Sunday when hundreds of tribal villagers, armed with traditional weapons, assembled and attacked MV-26, which is primarily inhabited by Bengali settlers. The mob set fire to several houses and vehicles and allegedly looted properties in a retaliatory act following the murder of 51-year-old Lake Podiami. Police had arrested Subharanjan Mondal, a resident of MV-26, in connection with the murder on Sunday, an act which reportedly did little to quell the immediate anger. The murder is suspected to be rooted in a long-standing land dispute.
In response to the escalation, the district administration has imposed prohibitory orders in MV-26 and surrounding areas to prevent the unlawful assembly of people. Additionally, mobile and broadband internet services were temporarily suspended across the entire Malkangiri district for a 24-hour period beginning Monday evening to curb the spread of rumours and inflammatory messages.
Heavy deployment of personnel from the Odisha Police, Border Security Force, and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) remains in place in the Korukonda Sadar Police Station area to maintain peace and order. While officials confirm that the situation is now under control, the tension between the two communities persists, highlighting the deep-seated nature of land and tribal-settler conflicts in the region.
The unrest also triggered a heated debate in the Odisha Assembly on Monday, with opposition parties criticizing the government’s handling of the law and order situation and alleging negligence in preempting the violent fallout of the murder.
The police investigation into the murder of Lake Podiami is continuing, with the search for the victim’s missing head still underway, and the administration is focused on conducting a damage assessment and supporting the displacement of affected families in MV-26.