Bengaluru, Oct 30 (IANS) The Karnataka High Court on Monday gave relief to BJP MP and Kannada actor Jaggesh by staying the notice issued to him by the forest department for wearing a tiger claw pendant. A bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order.

The forest department had issued the notice and conducted search operations at the residence of Jaggesh in Bengaluru after a video in which he proudly displays the tiger claw pendant claiming that it was a gift from his mother and is a real tiger claw went viral on social media.

 The action by the forest department was questioned by Jaggesh. His counsel submitted that “The notice issued by the forest department sleuths should be withdrawn. Before answering the notice, a team of 14 officers had raided the house and thrown all articles of the house here and there. I have been defamed based on the statement made in the interview. In this background, the action by the forest department must be declared as illegal.”

 Senior counsel Prabhuling Navadagi, who appeared for Jaggesh, maintained that the action against his client was against the law.

 Following the arrest of a Big Boss Reality Show contestant in Karnataka for wearing a locket made of tiger’s claw, various organisations had demanded that the government should also act against celebrities sporting the animal’s claw. As people started sharing the pictures of celebrities and politicians wearing tiger’s claw lockets and demanding action against them, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre had stated that "no one will be spared." Following the statement, celebrities have come under pressure to prove their innocence.

Former MLC and Congress leader P.R. Ramesh had lodged a complaint with the Forest Department’s Additional Secretary Javed Akthar against Jaggesh.

Shivakumar, who is attached to the Vande Mataram Social Service Organization, had said that Big Boss contestant Varthur Santhosh has been arrested but no action has been taken against celebrities. He had also slammed the Forest Department for not initiating action against them. Shivakumar stated that he would lodge a complaint in this regard.