Bengaluru: Pratap Simha, BJP’s Member of Parliament (MP) from Mysore-Kodagu constituency in Karnataka, was in the news following the massive security breach in Lok Sabha earlier this month.
Now, the spotlight is on his brother Vikram Simha. He has been arrested in connection with a tree-felling case.
Vikram, who was arrested by Organised Crime squad of Central Crime branch on Saturday, is currently in the custody of Forest department.
Vikram has been accused of illegal felling of 126 trees, allegedly worth crores of rupees, on government land at Nandagondanahalli in Hassan district’s Belur taluk and transporting those elsewhere.
A report from Belur tahsildar Mamatha alerted the state’s Forest department on December 16.
The tahsildar stated that the trees were cut to make way for ginger cultivation.
Vikram appeared before the Investigation Officer (IO) to give a statement, but avoided further interaction. Authorities wanted to further interrogate Vikram, but he was not at his residence.
Responding to his brother’s arrest, the BJP MP brought up the cheque-bounce case involving Karnataka minister Madhu Bangarappa.
“Madhu Bangarappa is involved in a check-bounce case worth Rs 6.5 crore. That invites a jail term of six months by the court. But my brother is arrested,” Pratap said.
He hit out at Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and asked him if he is going to “sacrifice my family for your son’s future.”
Pratap had issued visitor’s pass to one of the intruders who charged into the well of Parliament on December 13. Speaker Om Birla was told that that the intruder’s father was a resident of Pratap’s is constituency and had asked for a pass to visit Parliament.
