Kanpur, May 8 -- Accused of befriending vulnerable people, stealing their documents and opening bank accounts in their names to route hundreds of crores through fraudulent transactions, Mohammad Mahfooz has been arrested in Kanpur after months on the run. He was produced before a court on Thursday. DCP East Satyajit Gupta said police would soon seek his remand.

Police arrested Mahfooz from Jajmau following a cordon operation, though there is speculation that he was first detained in Kolkata and his formal arrest was later shown in Jajmau. Police have not commented on the claim.

The case emerged from an unlikely lead. Around a month and a half ago, two bike borne youths reported a robbery in Shyamnagar but withdrew their complaint when p...