Vikram Simha, brother of BJP MP Pratap Simha was arrested on Saturday in connection with cutting down of trees worth crores without permission. The BJP MP, earlier this month, was in the news for the Parliament security breach.
Vikram Simha was arrested by the Organised Crime squad of Central Crime Branch and is in the custody of forest department.
Vikram was accused of illegally cutting down 126 trees in a government land in Nandagondanahalli village in the Belur talak of Karnataka’s Hassan district.
NDTV quoted an official report as saying that “available documentary evidence” hinted towards Vikram Simha’s involvement in the matter.
Initially, Simha had been present to give statement before the investigating officer. But he had escaped before furhter questioning took place.
Later, the officials tracked him down to Bengaluru with the help of electronic surveillance.
He was arrested in a joint operation of the forest department and the Organised Crime team. Further action in the case will take place once the officials take him to Hassan.
Karnataka Forest minister Eshwar Khandre told India Today, “They have felled nearly 126 big trees which were as old as 50-60 years. This is a criminal act. The Forest Conservation Act is there, the Tree Conservation Act is there, he has violated all these…”
Following his arrest, Vikram however said “I have not cut down any tree, it has nothing to do with me. But I had contracted that land for one year from July 24 to grow ginger. But I don’t know that the tree was cut…”
He termed his arrest to be “politically motivated”.
Vikram Simha’s arrest comes at a time when things are already difficult for his brother, BJP MP Pratap Simha.
One of the accused, who entered the Lok Sabha on December 13, had a visitor’s pass issued by the office of Pratap Simha. However, the Mysore MP, later clarified to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that he had issued the pass to the accused’ father, a resident of his constituency who had asked for a pass to visit the Parliament.
Following the breach, Congress’ Mysuru unit workers had also staged a protest in front of Pratap Simha’s office. Later, they were detained by the police.
The Opposition posed a question over the inaction against the BJP MP. In fact, 146 MPs were also suspended from the House for unruly conduct after they demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah to speak on the major security breach.
The journalist-turned-politician said that the debate over whether he was a patriot or a cheat will be settled in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
He said that “…Goddess Chamundeshwari, Goddess Cauvery, my reader fans across Karnataka who have been reading my writings for the last 20 years, and people of Mysuru and Kodgu who have seen my work for 9.5 years and my conduct on issues related to country, dharma and nationalism, will give their verdict through votes in Lok Sabha polls…”
The BJP MP had also met Parliamentary Minister Prahlad Joshi amid the probe and clarified his stand on the issue.
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