Lucknow, March 16 (IANS) A Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator from Uttar Pradesh is being sought by police for allegedly heading a gang of vehicle thieves.

Vijay Mishra, who represents Gyanpur constituency, allegedly ran the inter-state gang with help from relatives and friends. Police said Tuesday that the gang stole vehicles from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and other states and sold them in Delhi using fake documents.

A case against Mishra was registered late Monday on the basis of statements from three alleged thieves arrested in Mirzapur district, 280 km from Lucknow.

'We have learnt that the legislator not only operated the gang but also provided them shelter and patronage to avoid arrest,' police inspector Gorakhnath Yadav said in Mirzapur. 'We are yet to trace Mishra.'