Malkangiri:Internet services, which were suspended following violent clashes in the MV-26 area earlier this month, were fully restored across Malkangiri district on Monday, officials said.

The district administration had repeatedly extended the internet shutdown to prevent the spread of misinformation and rumours after violence broke out in MV-26 following the murder of a woman in neighbouring Rakhelguda village.

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Prohibitory orders withdrawn, security forces remain deployed

With the restoration of connectivity, security forces continue to maintain surveillance in the affected villages. Sources said normalcy has largely returned to the area. Prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) have been withdrawn, allowing residents greater freedom of movement.

So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence. Security forces, including the Border Security Force (BSF), remain deployed at sensitive locations to prevent any untoward incident.

Murder of tribal widow triggered unrest

The unrest was triggered after the body of a tribal widow, Lake Padiami of Rakhelguda village, was found floating in a river four days after she went missing. Her head remains untraced, adding to tensions in the region. The woman was allegedly murdered over a land dispute, with tribals naming one Suka Ranjan Mandal of MV-26 as the accused.

The situation escalated when over 5,000 tribal people gathered at nearby MV-25 village, armed with traditional weapons, and allegedly attacked houses, vehicles and properties belonging to residents of MV-26. Several houses were set on fire, and properties of hundreds of Bengali-speaking residents were damaged on December 7 and 8.

Hundreds of Bengali families, who migrated from Bangladesh decades ago and have been living in MV-26, fled their homes and took shelter in nearby villages to escape the violence.

Following incidents of arson and vandalism, authorities deployed eight platoons of police along with two platoons of the BSF, imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS and suspended internet services across the district.

Last week, a ministerial delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo visited the violence-hit district and later submitted its report to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after reviewing the ground situation.