Surupsingh Naik surrenders, taken to Thane jail

MUMBAI: Surupsinh Naik, till Friday a Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra, was confined to a jail cell on Saturday to serve a rare sentence for contempt of court handed down by the Supreme Court.

The 68-year-old Congress leader, who resigned on Friday night as the state's Transport Minister after being sentenced to one month's simple imprisonment by the apex court, was lodged in the central prison at Thane.

Hours after the Supreme Court rejected his desperate plea for suspension of the sentence pending a review, warrants for Naik's arrest was issued at 3.30 am, he was told about it and he promised to surrender at 7 am, which he did at the Malabar Hill police station.  From there was taken to Thane jail.

Naik and a bureaucrat Ashok Khot were sentenced to one month's simple imprisonment for contempt for clandestinely giving licences for operation of six saw mills in 2004 near Tansa sanctuary despite a ban. Naik was then Forest and Environment Minister while Khot was Principal Secretary in the ministry.

Khot, against whom also the police have received an arrest warrant, was not traceable, police said.  When contacted, Khot refused to disclose his whereabouts maintaining that he was seeking seeking the opinion of his lawyers.  "I will surrender in due course of time," said Khot, who is now an Additional Chief Secretary.

Jail authorities at Thane said that Naik has been lodged in a separate cell, where he will be entitled to bring along clothes, books and other essentials.

Food and bedding, however, will be provided by the jail, authorities said adding that he will also be entitled to regular health check up.