MP Pratap Simha’s brother arrested by forest dept on charges of timber smuggling

BENGALURU: Mysore-Kodagu constituency MP Pratap Simha’s brother Vikram Simha has been arrested by Forest Department officials on the charge of involvement in timber smuggling.

Vikram was allegedly hiding in the forests at Jaribande Kaval. He was arrested for allegedly illegally cutting 126 fully grown trees in Nandagondanahalli near Belur.

The Belur RFO has filed a case against the landowners Jayamma, Rakesh Shetty and others. The timber has been seized and stored in the Forest Department yard.

Earlier, the Congress had mocked Pratap Simha as a ‘town thief’ and his brother Vikram Simha as a ‘forest thief’ on its official X handle.