Vikas Dubey Encounter: Guddan was, however, arrested in Thane (File)
Arvind alias Guddan Trivedi, Uttar Pradesh gangster Vikas Dubey's trusted aide, wanted in the murder of eight policemen, has been arrested along with his driver, Sonu Tiwari, the Mumbai Police said in a statement.
The police said they acted on an information that Guddan had been spotted in Mumbai and Thane and was searching for a hideout. They were, however, arrested in Thane.
"Initial enquiry revealed that Guddan is involved in many cases with Vikas Dubey, including the 2001 Murder case of State Minister Santosh Shukla. The Government of UP announced a cash reward for his arrest," the Mumbai Anti-Terror Squad, which arrested him, said.
Eight policemen, who had gone to raid Vikas Dubey's house in a village near Kanpur, were gunned down in an ambush organised by the gangster earlier this month. The Uttar Pradesh police had launched a massive manhunt for Dubey and his accomplices.
Dubey earlier this week made a sensational appearance at a prominent Ujjain temple, where he was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh. He was shot dead by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force - that had been bringing him to Kanpur - as he snatched a pistol and fired at officers, following the accident of the car he was travelling in, the police said.
Five of his associates have been killed in separate encounters in the last few days.
Trivedi had fled after the ambush at Bikru village.
The Mumbai ATS has informed Uttar Pradesh about the arrest.
The Congress has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the episode.
With inputs from PTI