Kolkata, Apr 5 (IANS): Trinamool Congress councillor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation Shambhunath Kow, prime accused in the murder of party leader Adhir Maity in March, was arrested from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh early Friday, police said.

"Kow was nabbed from Ballia early today following a tip-off. He was produced in court there, which ordered transit remand for him till April 7. He is being brought to Kolkata," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Pallab Kanti Ghosh said here.

Kow had been on the run since March 20, when Maity was killed during a clash by miscreants allegedly led by the councillor over a land dispute at Mathpukur in the city's eastern fringes.

Ghosh said Kow was nabbed from a house in Maturi village in the wee hours after a tip-off. Three mobile phones and Rs.28,000 were seized from him.

"Since the day of the incident, we had been searching for him in Kolkata, its surrounding areas and in neighbouring states. Last Saturday, we arrested one of his relatives in Kolkata. Following information given by him, we seized Rs.59 lakh in cash and gold jewellery from a house in Maheshtala," he said.

Police then fanned out into neighbouring states Odisha, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Kow was arrested after a 15-day manhunt.

Asked about Kow's whereabouts since March 20, Ghosh said that "he mostly stayed outside Kolkata".

On whether Kow has given details of the happenings on that day, Ghosh replied: "We will come to know about the details after interrogating him."

The incident had led to a political furore and hours after the tragedy, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered Kow's arrest.