State

Lanjigarh: Members of the Dongria Kondh tribe concluded their annual Niyamraja festival Sunday atop the Niyamgiri Hills, reaffirming their pledge to protect the sacred mountain and its natural resources. The three-day festival, held from February 27 to March 1 at Dhangarabhata near the hill summit...

Paradip: Police Sunday arrested a 28-year-old man for the alleged repeated sexual assault of a 7-year-old girl over a period of three-days under the Paradip Model police station area of Jagatsinghpur district. The suspect, identified as Sheikh Raja, was taken into custody after local residents...

Boipariguda: Two police personnel were critically injured in a road accident Sunday while chasing suspected ganja smugglers under Boipariguda police station in Koraput district. The injured have been identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Bishnu Madkami, 45, and Constable Dambaru Challan, 40, attached to the Ramagiri police...

Phulbani: A 60-yearold man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to rape his 12-year-old relative in Kandhamal district, police said Sunday. The incident occurred under Gochhapada police limits in Firingia block. The accused, identified as Bijay Digal of Kekeringia village, was arrested and later produced...

Basudevpur: A 41-year-old man was beaten to death on suspicion of being a child lifter in the Kashia marine police station area under Basudevpur block of Bhadrak district, police said Sunday. The deceased was identified as Sukul Bindhani of Manjuri village under Khunta police limits...

Bonai: Several Maoists are reported to have been killed in an encounter between security forces and members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the Saranda forest of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district along Odisha border Sunday, officials said. The exchange of fire began...

Muniguda: An employee of the Muniguda block administration collapsed and died outside the block office gate in Rayagada district Sunday morning. The deceased was identified as Sushant Gouda, a VB-GRAMG (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission) assistant working under the Muniguda block. According...

Parjang: In a shocking incident, a man allegedly murdered his 29-year-old wife after terminating her threemonth pregnancy under Parjang police limits in Dhenkanal district. The deceased was identified as Pyari Munda, 29, second wife of Sarama Gaya at Thakurmunda Sahi under Manikmara panchayat of Dadraghati...

Jharsuguda: A 28-year-old man was allegedly killed by his younger brother, who smashed his head with a stone following a quarrel late Saturday night near Brundamal railway station in Jharsuguda district. The deceased was identified as Bibekanath Nag, 28, a resident of a slum near...

Bhubaneswar/Bolangir: Odisha Police Sunday declared Bolangir and Bargarh districts as 'Naxal-free' after 15 Maoists operating in the two areas surrendered before security personnel in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, officials said. DGP YB Khurania said the force has achieved a significant milestone in its sustained anti-Naxal operations across...