Bhubaneswar/Bhadrak, 13 June

The Odisha government extended the suspension of internet services in parts of the Bhadrak district by 12 more hours till 6 pm on Friday, a restriction imposed since 12 June following the death of a man during a clash over cattle smuggling.

The internet services will remain suspended in Bhadrak, Tihidi and Dhamnagar blocks, and areas under the Bhadrak Municipality and the Dhamnagar Notified Area Council (NAC) till 6pm, district magistrate-cum-collector Dilip Routrai told PTI.

The district collector said the situation was "well under control and there is no untoward incident so far".

“We are on alert and keeping a close watch on the situation,” he said.

The administration suspended the internet services in the five localities in order to prevent the spread of misinformation and maintain peace, said Eastern Range Director General of Police Satyajit Nayak.

The suspension of internet services was enforced after the death of Santosh Parida, 45, of Kasati village under the Tihidi police station limits during a clash over cattle smuggling.

Parida was critically injured in the clash on 30 May and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. He succumbed to injuries on Wednesday.

The DIG said that altogether 12 people, including the prime accused in the Parida's death, have been arrested, and urged the citizens to maintain peace and not to believe in social media posts.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directed the officials to ensure that all the accused persons were arrested.

He had announced a compensation package for the next of kin of the family of the deceased.

The compensation package includes Rs 10 lakh in cash, a job for one of his family members and financial cover for his children’s studies.