Surupsinh Naik, who resigned from the Maharashtra cabinet Friday night after the Supreme Court sentenced him to one month's simple imprisonment in a contempt case, surrendered before police early on Saturday.

Naik, the state transport minister, was arrested at the Malabar Hills police station and has been lodged in Thane jail.

Senior inspector of Malabar Hills police station, P Sankhe, said Naik was arrested around 4.30 am and taken straight to the jail.

Warrants against Naik and state additional chief secretary Ashok Khot were received by police from the chief metropolitan magistrate at 3.30 am, Sankhe said. While Naik has been arrested, the warrant against Khot is yet to be executed, he said.

Sources said that Khot was not in town. Naik had resigned from the Cabinet Friday night after the Supreme Court rejected his review petition in the case. His resignation has been forwarded to Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday awarded one month's simple imprisonment to Naik and Khot for contempt of court for clandestinely giving licences for operation of six wood-based industries in 2004 despite a ban on the same.

When the licence was granted for operating the saw mills, Naik was environment and forest Minister and Khot principal secretary in the Ministry. The Supreme Court had, in 2002, banned the operation of saw mills.

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