Malkangiri, Dec 14: At least 12 locals of the MV-26 area were held on Sunday in connection with the violence, triggered from a woman’s severed head.
The Malkangiri Police on the basis of digital evidence and footage recorded from the scene, has taken the offenders to custody.
Earlier, the police had sent 6 key persons to judicial remand for their direct link with the violence took place in the MV-26 village, over a beheaded woman’s body.
Further investigation into the matter is underway. Thus, more arrests are anticipated in connection with the tension gripped the locality.
Unrest gripped Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday after more than 50 houses were set ablaze in MV-26 village following the discovery of a woman’s headless body. Despite heavy police deployment, tension resurfaced in multiple locations as large groups of locals mobilised again, prompting the district administration to intensify efforts to restore order.
According to reports, one group armed with traditional weapons gathered on the banks of the Rakhelguda River on Monday morning. Another group assembled near Malkangiri Sadar, while a third faction attempted to march toward MV-18 village. Police teams reached all three locations in time and prevented the groups from advancing. Tear gas was used to disperse the crowd.
The situation remains volatile in several parts of the district. Authorities have imposed BNS-163 within a 10-kilometre radius covering MV-26 and Rakhelguda to prevent further escalation, and security forces have been stationed at critical points.
