Officers of the Forest Department arrested Vikram Simha, brother of Mysuru MP Pratap Simmha, in Bengaluru on Saturday over the illegal felling of trees on government land at Nandagondanahalli in Belur taluk. Vikram Simha had been absconding since December 25.
A team of officers led by Prabhugouda Biradar, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Belur, arrested Mr. Vikram Simha with the help of Bengaluru police. The accused would be taken to Hassan for further inquiry.
As many as 126 high-value trees were cut at Nandagondanahalli. The incident came to light after Belur tahsildar Mamatha brought it to the notice of Forest Department officials on December 16. Following this, the department registered a case against Rakesh Shetty and Jayamma.
It is said that Mr. Vikram Simha, a resident of Bidarahalli in Sakleshpur, had an agreement with Ms. Jayamma to cultivate ginger on a part of the said land for a year.
The tahsildar, in her report, stated that the trees were cut down to take up ginger cultivation. When officials reached Mr. Vikram Simha’s place on December 25 for interrogation, he was not found.
Dr. Biradar told The Hindu that the accused was in the custody of the department and would be taken to Hassan on Sunday.
According to a note issued by the Forest Department, Mr. Vikram Simha came before the investigation officer soon after the complaint was registered. However, subsequently, he avoided going before the officer. As documentary evidence suggested that he was involved in the crime, a hunt was launched for him.
Electronic surveillance gave clues that he had left Hassan and was in Bengaluru. A team of officials reached Bengaluru and contacted the Bengaluru city Police Commissioner for cooperation to trace the accused.
Finally with the help of the ACP (Crime Cell), officials traced and arrested the accused, the note added.
Earlier, the Forest Department suspended five officials, including Deputy Conservator of Forests, D. Mohan Kumar, for negligence and dereliction of duty in this case.
The department expressed surprise over negligence of officers who failed to stop the tree felling on government land next to the main road by using heavy machinery.
