Woman teacher arrested for tearing ballot papers

Jajpur: A woman teacher of a government run school was arrested today for allegedly tearing ballot papers during the panchayat polls in Jajpur district yesterday.

The arrested teacher has been identified as Sarojini Jena of Kadampal village, police said.

Jena had entered booth No-10 of Kadampal panchayat under Dharmasaal block in the district yesterday to cast her vote, they said.

When the polling officials told her that she could not cast her vote as her name was not in the voters list, Jena allegedly tore some ballot papers and threw them inside the ballot box in the booth in a fit of rage, they said.

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"Based on the reports of the presiding officer of the booth, Ashok Maharana, we arrested the teacher and forwarded her to the court," said Susant Kumar Das, inspector-in-charge of Balichandrapur police station.

She was sent to judicial custody after her bail plea was rejected, he said.