An armed Adivasi mob set an entire village of Bangladesh origin settlers on fire in Odisha’s Malkangiri district and attacked the residents early on Monday after a missing woman from their community was found beheaded.

The administration responded by imposing prohibitory orders and suspending internet services for 24 hours from 6pm as additional forces moved across the district to prevent any further violence.

Officials said the mob burned down around 150 houses because they believed that some people in the MV 26 settlement had killed Lake Padiami, aged 51, who lived in the nearby Rakhalguda village, following a dispute over land.

Her decapitated body was discovered on the banks of the Dudametta River on December 4, a day after she was reported missing.

SP Vinod Patil said that two suspected killers had been detained for questioning and stated, "We appeal for calm. Adequate steps are being taken to ensure harmony."

As the unrest continued, DGP Y B Khurania visited the area with senior officers to prepare a strategy to stop Maoists from using the situation to their advantage.

The violence was raised in the assembly, where BJD MLA Pratap Keshari Deb accused the BJP government of failing to resolve what he called a long-standing dispute between the two villages.

He said, "The arson exposes the state of law and order. Maoists could exploit the turmoil."

BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy replied that unlike the previous BJD administration, the Mohan Charan Majhi government "acted promptly."

Collector Somesh Upadhaya told ToI that a peace committee meeting with members of both communities was planned for 10.30 am on Tuesday.

More than two lakh Bengali-speaking families who migrated from Bangladesh till the 1970s and later received Indian citizenship live in 214 villages in Malkangiri, and sources said nearly 1,000 people left the MV 26 settlement overnight because they feared an attack.