Surupsingh surrenders, in Thane jail

Surupsingh Naik, who resigned as Maharashtra transport minister on Friday, was arrested and lodged in the Thane jail on Saturday morning.

Naik surrendered to the Malabar Hill police at 4.30am. Senior inspector P Sankhe said, “We received warrants against Surupsingh Naik and Ashok Khot at 3.30am.”

The Supreme Court had sentenced Naik and Maharashtra additional chief secretary Ashok Khot to one-month imprisonment for contempt of court. The police are yet to arrest Khot, who is said to be in Delhi.

Home Minister RR Patil said, “Khot is in Delhi and he has sent us a message saying he will come to Mumbai and surrender to the police.”

In 2004, Naik, as environment minister, and Khot, as the principal secretary of the ministry, had sanctioned licences for saw mills to operate in prohibited forest areas, even though the SC had, in 2002, banned saw mills in such areas.