Malkangiri: After assessing the ground situation, the Malkangiri district administration on Saturday extended restrictions on internet services in the district for the sixth consecutive time.

Announcing the decision at a joint press conference, District Collector Somesh Kumar Upadhyay and Superintendent of Police Vinodh Patil H said the restrictions would continue for another 36 hours and remain in force till Monday noon.
The internet curbs were first imposed last Monday following unrest triggered by the recovery of the body of a missing tribal widow, Lake Padiami of Rakhalguda village, from a river.

Also read: Malkangiri violence: BJD forms seven-member fact-finding team to assess ground situation

Tensions escalated after protesters allegedly set more than 50 houses on fire and vandalised over 160 homes in MV-26 village. Hundreds of Bengali-speaking families, who had migrated from Bangladesh decades ago and were residing in the village, fled to neighbouring areas to escape the violence.

Meanwhile, the district administration lifted the curfew imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) within a 10-km radius of MV-26 village. The curfew had been in place since December 7.

The administration is providing cooked food, clothing, tarpaulin sheets, and is facilitating the restoration of water and electricity supply for residents who have returned to MV-26 village, Collector Upadhyay said. Many villagers had fled their homes following the violence.

As per preliminary estimates, the violence caused damage worth around ₹4 crore, the Collector added.

Accused in tribal woman murder case arrested

The police have arrested Sukhranjan Mondal of MV-26 village on charges of murdering the tribal woman from Rakhalguda village. The accused has been forwarded to court, SP Vinodh Patil H said, adding the chargesheet will be filed on a fast-track basis.

The SP also confirmed six other individuals have been arrested in connection with arson and damage to property.
Revenue Divisional Commissioner (South) Sangram Keshari Mohapatra visited MV-26 and Rakhalguda villages and held discussions with officials and representatives of tribal organisations. He reviewed issues related to the re-examination of Regulation 2/56, land encroachment, rehabilitation linked to the Balimela and Machhkund projects, and the disbursal of records of rights for forest land.

On Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singhdeo and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallik visited the violence-hit areas and held discussions with district officials.

Meanwhile, Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik has constituted a seven-member fact-finding committee to assess the situation. The committee includes Manas Madkami (coordinator), Manohar Randhari (MLA), Ramesh Majhi (former minister), Pradeep Majhi (former MP), Rabi Nanda (former minister), Ishwar Panigrahi, and Laxmipriya Nayak, MLA candidate from Chitrakonda.