Malkangiri, Dec 15: Internet services, which were suspended due to violent clashes earlier this month, have been fully restored across Malkangiri district, officials announced on Monday. The shutdown had been extended multiple times to prevent the spread of rumors and misinformation after violence erupted in the MV-26 area following the murder of a woman in the nearby Rakhelguda village.

With the internet restored, security forces continue to monitor the situation in affected villages.

Sources say that things have mostly returned to normal. The district administration has also lifted curfew orders, which had restricted movement under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), giving residents more freedom.

So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence.

The Border Security Force (BSF) and other security personnel are still stationed at sensitive locations to prevent further incidents.

The conflict began after the body of a tribal widow, Lake Padiami, from Rakhelguda village was found floating in a river, four days after she went missing. Her head has not been found, which has added to tensions in the region. The woman is believed to have been murdered over a land dispute, with locals naming Suka Ranjan Mandal of MV-26 as the suspect.