Bengaluru: Vikram Simha, the brother of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pratap Simha, was arrested on Saturday in connection with a case involving the alleged unauthorized cutting of nearly 126 trees and smuggling wood in Nandagondanahalli village in Karnataka’s Hassan district. The arrest was carried out by the Organised Crime Squad of Bengaluru’s City Crime Branch (CCB) before Vikram Simha was transferred to the custody of the state’s forest department.
The forest department had filed an FIR against Vikram Simha, accusing him of illegally cutting trees on government-owned gomala land allotted to two individuals. The operation came to light during a field visit by a tehsildar named Mamata, who alerted authorities about the unauthorized tree cutting and initiated the FIR.
Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre confirmed Vikram Simha’s arrest, emphasizing the severity of the alleged offense. He stated that the trees, aged between 50 to 60 years, were cut in violation of environmental conservation laws, including the Forest Conservation Act and the Tree Conservation Act.
The incident has sparked discussions about the importance of enforcing environmental regulations and the legal consequences of unauthorized tree cutting, especially when involving influential individuals or their associates.
