Former Agra mayor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kishori Lal Mahaur has been arrested following a complaint from his widowed daughter-in-law who accused him of duping her of property, police said Saturday.

He was held Friday and has been remanded to judicial custody till March 25.

Mahaur's daughter-in-law Vandana has alleged that the BJP leader cheated on her. 'She claims to be 50 percent partner of a hotel which was owned by her husband Anil Bharti, who died Feb 12, 2005,' a police officer said.

She told police in her complaint that Mahaur and his son Harish forged records and deprived her of her rights. 'She and her daughter Kirti have been reduced to paupers by the ex-mayor and the family,' the officer said.

Lawyers at the Civil Court and BJP local leaders were shocked at the 'fast police action' in the case. As the lawyers were on strike, the magistrate heard the case and remanded Mahaur to judicial custody for 14 days.