TNI Bureau: Tikhiri Sarpanch Chameli Ojha has been sent to judicial custody after her bail application was rejected in connection with allegations of abusing officials and assaulting police during a dispute at the Mahakalapada block office in Kendrapada district.

The incident had triggered tension at the block office over the past two days. Police had detained Ojha following allegations that she misbehaved with the Block Development Officer (BDO) and assaulted police personnel, after which an FIR was registered.

She reportedly fell ill in custody and was shifted to Kendrapada District Headquarters Hospital. After being declared fit, she was arrested and produced before the court, which rejected her bail plea and sent her to judicial custody.

The case has sparked political reactions, with the District Sarpanch Association condemning the alleged attack on a public representative and Congress staging a protest demanding justice for her.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhakta Charan Das, in a post on social media platform X, termed the hospital-to-custody shift deeply shameful, alleging that she was abruptly moved from the hospital to jail.