Malkangiri (Odisha) [India], December 10 (ANI): The district administration in Malkangiri convened a peace committee meeting with representatives from MV/26 and Rekhalaguda villages following recent tensions between the two communities.

The meeting came after violent clashes broke out between two communities following the recovery of a woman's headless body.

Speaking after the meeting at the District Collector's office, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Vinodh Patil said representatives from both sides expressed their commitment to maintaining harmony.

'Both committees have agreed to maintain peace. They both do not want to escalate this situation further,' Patil told ANI on Tuesday.

Malkangiri Collector Somesh Kumar Upadhyay, who chaired the meeting, informed that around 30-35 members from both communities participated in the discussions.

'30 to 35 representatives from both communities were present in the peace committee meeting. They unanimously stated that they needed to restore Malkangiri's peaceful identity. The tribal community condemned the incitement surrounding the murder. They condemned the two incidents in the village and apologised to the Bengali community... Understanding and trust between the two communities has increased,' Upadhyay said.

According to officials, clashes erupted soon after the body was found, leading to large-scale damage in the district. The district administration said 163 houses were damaged during the violence. Security forces have been deployed in the affected areas to maintain order.

On Monday, the Odisha government extended the ban on access to social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and X, in Malkangiri district for another 18 hours, until 12 pm on December 10.

The Malkangiri Collector told reporters that the situation had improved following talks between the two communities.

'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. According to the preliminary assessment, 163 houses have sustained 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,' he said.

The state government said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi approved Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia for the victim's family. The woman's son has already received Rs 30,000. The last rites were performed after the post-mortem earlier on Monday.

Officials said a scientific team, a sniffer-dog squad and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have arrived at the site to search for the missing head and collect evidence related to the killing. The teams are carrying out extensive searches in the area.

The Odisha government first suspended internet and social media services on Monday for 24 hours following the clashes. According to a Home Department notification, 'anti-social elements' were spreading 'false, provocative and inflammatory messages' on WhatsApp, Facebook and X, leading to 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 said.

The district administration sought an immediate shutdown of communication to prevent the situation from worsening, after which the state government suspended mobile internet, broadband services, and access to all social media platforms from 6 pm on December 8 to 6 pm on December 9. The restriction has now been extended until 12 pm on December 10. (ANI)