Former MLA Subhash Pasi, accused of fraud and gang-related activities, was arrested by the Hardoi police in connection with cheating Ruchi Goyal, the sister of Uttar Pradesh Excise Minister Nitin Agarwal and another individual, officials said on Thursday.

The arrest was made by Dehat Kotwali police and Pasi is yet to be presented in court, they added.

According to the police, a complaint was lodged on October 10, 2023, by Prakash Chandra Gupta, a resident of Railwayganj in Hardoi.

Gupta alleged that Pasi, originally from Ghazipur and residing in Mumbai’s Juhu Church area had approached him through a mutual acquaintance, Akshay Agarwal.

The former MLA along with his wife Reena Pasi offered to sell a flat in Mumbai’s Aramnagar for Rs 2.5 crore, he said.

Gupta took Pasi to meet Ruchi Goyal, who issued a cheque for Rs 49 lakh to Subhash and Reena Pasi in the presence of witnesses.

The amount was withdrawn but the flat was not handed over. When Gupta later visited Mumbai to resolve the issue, he was given forged property documents.

Similarly, Akshay Agarwal filed a separate case on August 9, 2023, accusing the couple of misappropriating Rs 49 lakh.

Police investigations revealed fraud in both cases, and chargesheets were filed.

A Gangsters Act case was registered against the couple by then-City Kotwal Sanjay Pandey on January 31, 2024.

Since then, the police had been searching for them and Pasi was finally arrested in Mumbai, where he was presented in a local court and placed under a two-day remand before being brought to Hardoi, officials said.

Superintendent of Police (Hardoi) Neeraj Jadon said, “Subhash Pasi served as an MLA from the Saidpur constituency in Ghazipur district twice, in 2012 and 2017, as a Samajwadi Party candidate. He contested the 2022 assembly election on a BJP ticket but lost. Both Subhash and Reena Pasi faced non-bailable warrants after failing to appear in court on charges of fraud. Following their arrest in Mumbai, Subhash Pasi will be presented in court today.”