Bhubaneswar, Odisha [India], December 11 (ANI): Odisha Minister Nityananda Gond on Wednesday said that the situation in Malkangiri district has now calmed down following reports of violence after a headless body of a woman was discovered in the Potteru river.

Speaking on the incident, Gond said to ANI, 'The situation in Malkangiri has now calmed down. Under Mohan Majhi's government, no culprit will be able to escape. However, there are some opponents who are instigating people to worsen the situation. Some selfish leaders do not want peace and prestige in their own areas.'

Expressing appreciation for the local communities, Odisha Minister added, 'I am thankful that the tribals and Bengalis of Malkangiri came together and formed a peace committee.'

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

Earlier, 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.

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.

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 were deployed in the affected areas to maintain order.

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) arrived at the site to search for the missing head and collect evidence related to the killing. The teams carried out extensive searches in the area. (ANI)