Jerrit John, the 44-year-old owner of a film production house, who allegedly threw a hazardous chemical at his former girlfriend, 26-year-old Aryanka Hosbetkar, on Wednesday, was arrested from a hotel in Nalasopara on Saturday.

John told police he had bought the chemical from a shop in Masjid Bunder for Rs. 100. He said he had attacked Hosbetkar, a physiotherapist, after she distanced herself from him, Dadar police officers said.

John, who owns the production house ‘No Nonsense’ and has produced and directed television serials, flung the chemical at Hosbetkar at her Worli flat.

John then went to his office at Carter Road in Bandra, took some CCTV footage and left for the outskirts of the city.

Ever since, he has been living in hotels between Vasai and Nalasopara, the Dadar police said.

"We arrested him from the hotel at 11am," said Dhananjay Kulkarni, deputy commissioner of police, Zone V.