From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Aug 4: Goa Crime Branch on Thursday August 4 arrested Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national secretary Jitendra Deshprabhu in illegal mining case, minutes after the local court rejected his anticipatory bail petition.

Additional Principle District and Sessions Court today rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by Deshprabhu. The court also refused to stay its own order of dismissing the anticipatory bail petition.

Deshprabhu was taken to the Crime Branch office at Dona Paula near here in police jeep where he was placed under arrest by Deputy superintendent of Police Chandrakant Salgaoncar.

The NCP leader is a prime accused in multi-crore illegal mining case wherein iron ore was illegally extracted from his property at Pernem taluk.

Crime Branch is investigating the case and has already arrested Gitesh Naik, a person working with Deshprabhu as a contractor to carry the ore.

State Mines and Geology department has already confirmed the illegal extraction and has fined Deshprabhu for Rs 1.7 crore.

Deshprabhu, a high profile political leader from North Goa, did not responded to three summons issued against him to appear before the Investigating officer, earlier last month.

Anticipatory bail petition was filed by him in the court after Crime Branch began looking out for him. The court on August 1 had finished hearing the arguments in the anticipatory bail petition reserving the final order for today.

As the petition was dismissed, Advocate Shashank Samant representing Deshprabhu, moved an application for a stay so that the order can be challenged in the Higher court.

The Judge, however, refused to give a stay. Crime Branch has already interrogated State Mines and Geology department director Arvind Lolienkar, Chief Wildlife Warden Dr Shashi Kumar, and director of transport Arun Desai in connection with this case.