Bengaluru:

The brother of BJP MP Pratap Simha, who hit headlines for the large breach in Parliament safety earlier this month, has been arrested in reference to the felling of bushes value crores. Vikram Simha, who was arrested by the Organised Crime squad of Central Crime Department, is presently within the custody of forest division.

As many as 126 bushes value crores have been felled in Karnataka’s Hassan district and transported elsewhere. An official report mentioned “accessible documentary proof” hinted at his involvement within the crime. Forest officers had been searching for Vikram Simha, however he escaped. The officers used digital surveillance to trace down Vikram to Bengaluru.

The forest officers reached out to the Organised Crime group and Vikram Simha was arrested in a joint operation. He’ll now be taken to Hassan for additional motion within the case.

His brother’s arrest comes at a tricky time for the BJP MP, who’s already drawing hearth from the Opposition after his identify got here up within the Parliament breach case. One of many intruders who trespassed into Lok Sabha on December 13 was carrying a customer’s go issued by Pratap Simha’s workplace. The BJP had later advised Speaker Om Birla that the intruder’s father was a resident of his constituency and had requested for a go to go to Parliament.

The Opposition has questioned why no motion has been taken in opposition to Mr Simha but, despite the fact that 146 MPs have been suspended for unruly conduct after they demanded a press release from Union House Minister Amit Shah on the large safety breach.

Mr Simha lately mentioned the individuals will determine if he was a patriot or a traitor within the Lok Sabha elections due subsequent yr. “Whether or not Pratap Simha is a traitor or a patriot — mom Goddess Chamundeshwari sitting on the hills of Mysuru, mom Goddess Cauvery who’s sitting on Brahmagiri, my reader followers throughout Karnataka who’ve been studying my writings for the final twenty years, and folks of Mysuru and Kodgu who’ve seen my work for 9.5 years and my conduct on points associated nation, dharma and nationalism — will give their verdict by votes in Lok Sabha polls to be held in April 2024,” mentioned the journalist-turned-politician.

The Congress has questioned why the BJP MP has not been questioned to this point. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has, nevertheless, mentioned, Mr Simha’s assertion had been recorded as a part of the probe.