New Delhi, July 28 - A 42-year-old author who has penned 16 detective novels in Hindi has been arrested here for duping several people by promising them contracts for erecting cell phone towers, police said Tuesday.

Anil Saxena, the writer of novels like 'Khaki Vardi Vala Kala Coat', 'Khuddar', 'Eent Ka Jawab Goli', 'Sisakte Halat' and 'Begunah Mujrim' that were published by Kavita Pocket Books of Meerut, was arrested from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh Monday.

The police said Saxena would take an advance from his unsuspecting victims. After a while, he would hand them a bag containing what he claimed were several bundles of currency notes in 'payment' for constructing mobile phone towers but which in reality were only blank white sheets of paper.

'At the time of the handing over the bag, he would convince the victim that he should open the bag and check the amount only after reaching home,' a senior police officer said.

'The publishing house could not survive for various reasons and was closed. Saxena then converted his detective writings and persuasive skills into cheating,' the officer added.