Bhubaneswar, Dec. 13 -- The Odisha government extended the internet shutdown in Malkangiri for the fifth consecutive time to prevent any resurgence of violence following days of tension triggered by the brutal killing of a woman allegedly linked to a sharecropping dispute.

Fresh ground reports suggest that normalcy is showing signs of a gradual return in the region. However, authorities stated that the suspension of internet services in the district has now been extended until midnight, as a precautionary measure.

The decision follows continued administrative reviews and high-level interventions aimed at restoring peace between the two affected villages of MV-26 and Rakhelguda.

The unrest broke out after a woman landowner was allegedly...