‘Situation peaceful, Odisha CM announced Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia’: Malakanagiri Collector as two communities clash after woman’s headless body found

MALAKANAGIRI (Odisha): Two communities in Malakanagiri district in Odisha clashed against each other after a headless body of a woman was found in the district. The District Collector on Tuesday said the situation is peaceful following an agreement between the communities.

A total of 163 houses have suffered damage during the clash.

Malakanagiri Collector said that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi announced Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia to the victim’s family, while her son has already received Rs 30,000.

The Collector told reporters,” The situation is peaceful now. An agreement has been reached between the two communities. They have named their respective representatives for today’s Peace Committee meeting. We are hopeful that normalcy will return. As per preliminary assessment, 163 houses have suffered damage. The victim’s son has been given an ex-gratia amount of Rs 30,000. The CM has announced Rs 4 lakhs ex-gratia.”

The last rites of the deceased woman were held after the post-mortem earlier today.

Security forces have been deployed in the area following the clash. A scientific team, a sniffer-dog squad, and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have arrived at the site. They are conducting extensive searches to locate the missing head and collect other potential evidence.

Earlier on Monday, the Odisha government suspended internet and social media services for 24 hours in Malkangiri district after the violent clashes.
According to an official notification issued by the Home Department, the situation escalated rapidly as “anti-social elements” used platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and X to spread provocative and inflammatory messages, creating a threat to public order.

“It has come to the notice of the State Government that a law and order situation has arisen in the Malkangiri district, the situation has escalated and become critical, with antisocial elements circulating false, provocative and inflammatory messages via social media platforms, thereby threatening to disrupt public order and peace,” the notification read.

The district administration requested an immediate communication shutdown to prevent further escalation, leading the state government to impose a complete suspension of mobile internet, broadband, and all social media services from 6:00 pm on December 8 until 6:00 pm on December 9. (ANI)