BJP MP Jaggesh moves Karnataka High Court after his house raided over tiger claw pendant

Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) and Kannada cine artist, Jaggesh has moved the Karnataka High Court questioning the legality of a raid conducted in his home by forest officials last week over a "tiger claw" pendant that he was reportedly seen wearing [Sri Jaggesh v. State of Karnataka and ors.].The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader asserted that the raids were conducted in the wake of false and misleading propaganda on social media accusing him of wearing a gold pendant made out of a tiger claw on October 24. .A notice was then issued by forest officials asking Jaggesh to appear before the authorities and produce the pendant in question.However, a raid was conducted at his Malleshwaram residence on October 25 by the forest officials before he could even respond to this notice, he submitted."Ironically, even before the ink had dried on that notice, the search and seizure in question was conducted," the plea said. .As per the petition filed by Jaggesh, 14 officials ransacked his house, including papers maintained by him as a member of the parliament. He also claimed that he was forced to sign a statement and the pendant was collected by the officials after the raid..The Rajya Sabha member has now urged the High Court to declare both the raid and the notice issued by the forest officials illegal. These actions were malafide, arbitrary, taken in haste and in a high handed manner without considering that he was a member of parliament and a person of repute, Jaggesh submitted. He has also expressed apprehension that more such steps may be taken to embarrass him.He added that while the raid and seizure were based on allegations that he had violated Wildlife Protection Act provisions that punished the possession of any article obtained from the hunt of wild animals, no such offence was made out against him..He, therefore, urged the High Court quash the October 25 notice issued to him over the episode and declare the raid on his house illegal. The petition was filed through advocates Basavaraj Patil and Keerthi Reddy.