The Bombay High Court on Friday rejected Deepak Mankar’s anticipatory bail application in a land-grabbing case lodged by Yeshwant Natu, a resident of Sahakarnagar. The court also rejected the anticipatory bail application of builder Sudheer Karnataki, a co-accused in the case. The city police can now arrest Mankar in Natu’s case also.

Mankar and Karnataki had filed their application for anticipatory bail in the high court after the Pune Sessions Court rejected their applications. Both of them had appeared before Justice B D Bhosale at the court on Tuesday, but the hearing was adjourned for two consecutive days as Justice Bhosale refused to look into the case. Lawyers of Mankar and Karnataki then filed the bail applications before Justice Abhay Oak on Thursday.

As the Pune police team had arrested Mankar in another case on Thursday, he could not attend the hearing on Friday. Karnataki was also absent. Justice Oak rejected their anticipatory bail applications.

The crime branch has intensified the search for Karnataki and accomplices Sadhana Vartak and former corporator Datta Sagare, who are co-accused in the Natu case. Natu had alleged that Mankar, Sagare and Vartak were involved in the attack on his house in Shukrawar Peth in February 2008. They allegedly forced the Natu family to sell its property to Karnataki for Rs 1.25 crore in March 2008.