Mumbai, Mar 14 (IANS): In a major development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday night arrested Mumbai cop Sachin Vaze in connection with the explosive laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's home.

The arrest was made minutes before midnight, after the NIA grilled Vaze for over 12 hours since Saturday morning.

Earlier, a Thane Court had declined to grant interim bail to Vaze and posted his plea for a later date.

The Mumbai police official who has been under fire in the case pertaining to the SUV found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani's home and the subsequent mystery death of a Thane businessman Mansukh Hiren, had hinted at ending his life.

In a short update, an apparently disturbed Vaze had hinted at the possibility of ending his life as the case investigations get underway, saying: "I think the time to say goodbye to the world is coming closer."

"3rd March 2004. Fellow officers from the CID arrested me in a false case. That arrest inconclusive till date. Sensing history is going to repeat," Vaze had said on his status.

"My fellow officers are on to falsely trap me. There's a slight difference in the scenario. Then probably I had 17 years of hope, patience, life and service too," Vaze said.

The controversial police official added that now he would neither have 17 years of further life or service, "nor patience to live", and "I think the time to say goodbye to the world is coming closer".

Shunted out of the elite Crime Intelligence Unit of Mumbai Police's Crime Branch, Vaze's status check created waves in media and police circles even as he has applied for an anticipatory bail in the ATS's probe into the death of Hiren, which will come up for hearing in Thane Sessions Court on March 19.