Odisha's Malkangiri in flames: Tribals rampage Bangladeshi settlers village after beheading horror!

The unrest followed the discovery of a missing tribal woman who was found decapitated last week.

Authorities imposed a curfew and suspended internet services across the district for 24 hours from 6 pm on Monday to prevent further escalation.

The disturbances began after the body of a 50-year-old woman from the Koya tribe, Lake Podiami of Rakhalguda village, was found headless in the Potteru river last Thursday. Her severed head is yet to be recovered.

Following the discovery, large groups of tribal residents armed with traditional weapons broke through police barricades and attacked MV-26 village, setting multiple houses on fire. Police struggled to contain the crowd as violence spread.

Tribal leader Bandhu Muduli alleged that several Bengali settlers in the area were involved in criminal activities and claimed that many lacked valid identity documents, according to The New Indian Express.

He demanded that only residents with proper documentation be permitted to live in the region.

Police arrested 45-year-old Subharanjan Mondal from the Bengali community on Sunday in connection with Podiami’s murder.

Meanwhile, Bengali residents held a demonstration outside the district collector’s office seeking strict action against the perpetrators.

Malkangiri Bengali Samaj president Gouranga Karmakar said the community had repeatedly alerted authorities about rising tensions and demanded that all those responsible be arrested within 72 hours.