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Odisha on Edge: Internet Suspended in Malkangiri as Tribal Woman's Beheading Ignites Clashes Between Communities
December 9, 2025 | Internal Security | Tribal Unrest | Law & Order Crisis
By Crime & Security Correspondent
Regional Conflict & Tribal Affairs Analyst
Focus: Odisha tribal belt, internal security, communal harmony
Police and BSF personnel deployed in Malkangiri district as internet services remain suspended following violent clashes over the brutal killing of a tribal woman.
Tension has gripped Odisha's Malkangiri district, forcing the administration to suspend internet services for 24 hours and impose strict prohibitory orders following violent clashes between two communities. The unrest was triggered by the gruesome beheading of a 51-year-old tribal woman, Lake Padiami, whose headless body was discovered near the Poteru river last week.
The violence escalated on Sunday and Monday as hundreds of armed tribals from Rakhelguda village marched to the neighboring MV-26 village (inhabited primarily by Bengali settlers), torching houses, damaging vehicles, and looting shops in retaliation. The district administration has deployed heavy security forces, including the Border Security Force (BSF) and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), to contain the volatile situation[web:127][web:128][web:134].
The violence escalated on Sunday and Monday as hundreds of armed tribals from Rakhelguda village marched to the neighboring MV-26 village (inhabited primarily by Bengali settlers), torching houses, damaging vehicles, and looting shops in retaliation. The district administration has deployed heavy security forces, including the Border Security Force (BSF) and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), to contain the volatile situation[web:127][web:128][web:134].
The Trigger: A Brutal Murder and Missing Head
🔍 The Victim: Lake Padiami
- Identity: 51-year-old widow from the Koya tribal community in Rakhelguda.
- Incident: Went missing on December 4; headless body found near Poteru riverbank.
- Root Cause: Police investigations point to a long-standing land dispute. Padiami had reclaimed her land from a sharecropper, Subharanjan Mondal (from MV-26), after her son came of age, sparking tensions[web:136].
🔥 The Flashpoint
- Demand for Justice: Tribal community leaders demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits and the recovery of the missing head.
- Arrest Made: Police arrested the prime suspect, Subharanjan Mondal (45), on Sunday. However, this failed to placate the angry mob, who demanded stricter action and immediate recovery of the severed head[web:127][web:128].
Timeline of Escalation & Administrative Crackdown
From Discovery to Internet Shutdown
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Dec 4 | Headless body of Lake Padiami recovered near Poteru river. |
| Dec 7 (Sun) | Violence Erupts: Armed mob from Rakhelguda attacks MV-26. Dozens of houses damaged, vehicles torched. Suspect arrested. |
| Dec 8 (Mon) | Curfew & Shutdown: Violence continues; District admin clamps curfew in MV-26; Internet suspended for 24 hours from 6 PM. |
| Dec 9 (Tue) | Current Status: Heavy force deployment; Peace committee meetings underway led by DIG and Collector[web:127][web:134]. |
🛡️ Security Measures Deployed
- Internet Shutdown: Suspended to prevent rumor-mongering on social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook.
- Prohibitory Orders: Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) imposed; gathering of more than 5 people banned.
- Force Deployment: 12 platoons of police force, BSF jawans, and ODRAF teams stationed in sensitive pockets.
UPSC & Competitive Exams: Key Insights
Prelims Pointers
- Geography: Malkangiri is the southern-most district of Odisha, bordering Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (Red Corridor).
- Tribes: The Koya tribe is the dominant tribal group in this region.
- BNSS Section 163: Replaces the old Section 144 CrPC for imposing prohibitory orders/curfews.
- Settler Issue: MV (Malkangiri Village) settlements (like MV-26) were established for Bengali refugees (primarily from East Pakistan/Bangladesh) during rehabilitation projects (Dandakaranya Project).
Mains/Descriptive Topics
- Internal Security: Analyze the challenges of tribal-settler conflict in resource-rich but sensitive zones like Malkangiri.
- Social Justice: Discuss land alienation issues among tribals and the impact of rehabilitation policies on indigenous demographics.
- Governance: Evaluate the efficacy of internet shutdowns as a tool for maintaining law and order versus digital rights.
— End of Report —
Sources:
- Hindustan Times, The Economic Times, The New Indian Express, OdishaTV, DevDiscourse[web:127][web:133][web:134][web:130][web:132].
- Official police statements from Malkangiri SP and Collector.
- Reporting Date: December 9, 2025.
