Malkangiri (Odisha): Tension continues to simmer in Malkangiri district after violent clashes between tribal residents and Bengali settlers prompted the administration to suspend internet services for 24 hours and curb public gatherings. The violence erupted a day after the discovery of a 51-year-old Koya tribal woman’s headless body, a killing that has deeply shaken communities in the region.
The district administration moved swiftly after unrest broke out on Sunday when nearly 5,000 tribal residents from Rakhelguda marched to MV-26 village under Korkunda Sadar Police Station limits. Many in the group carried traditional weapons such as bows, arrows and axes. The mob went from house to house, torching at least four structures, damaging several others, and vandalising vehicles belonging to around Bengali settler families. A number of residents reportedly fled the village in fear as the clashes escalated.
District Collector Somesh Upadhyay ordered an immediate suspension of mobile and broadband internet networks across Malkangiri to prevent rumours and inflammatory content from spreading. Local sources indicated that police have detained two individuals in connection with the violence. However, anger within the tribal community remains high, with demands for swift action against all those suspected of involvement in the murder.
The killing of Lake Padiami, the tribal woman at the centre of the unrest, appears to stem from a prolonged land dispute. Investigations suggest that she had allowed a Bengali settler, Sukumar Mandal, to cultivate her land as a sharecropper for about a decade after her husband’s death. With her son now an adult, Padiami reportedly sought to reclaim the land last year, leading to mounting tension between the two families.
Padiami was last seen on December 1 when she went to her field for harvesting. When she did not return home, her son lodged a missing persons report, expressing suspicion that she might have been abducted and killed. His fears were confirmed when her headless body was recovered near the Poteru river on December 4. The search for the missing head is still underway.
Police arrested Subharanjan Mondal, a resident of MV-26, on Sunday in connection with the murder, but the action failed to calm the agitated tribal community. A large gathering led by Adivasi leaders assembled at MV-26 on December 5, demanding immediate arrests of all suspects and recovery of the missing body part. Officials described the gathering as emotionally charged and potentially volatile.
Authorities are maintaining a strong security presence as investigations continue, hoping to prevent further violence and restore peace in the district.
