GUWAHATI — A man from Assam's Nagaon district has been arrested in Kerala for allegedly hacking another person's social media account and using it to post a threat to assassinate Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in return for INR 2 crore, police said on Monday.
The accused, identified as Rashidul Haque, a resident of Dhing Chapori under Juria police station in Nagaon, was apprehended in Kerala following an investigation into the alleged threatening post. According to police, Haque allegedly gained unauthorised access to the social media account of Mobarak Ali, a resident of Gadaimari in Juria, and used the account to publish a message threatening to kill Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The post allegedly offered INR 2 crore in exchange for the assassination of the Chief Minister, prompting police to launch an investigation to identify the person behind the account and ascertain the circumstances surrounding the threat.
Investigators subsequently traced the alleged suspect to Kerala, where he was arrested.
During questioning, Haque reportedly told police that he had allegedly hacked Ali's social media account as an act of revenge arising from a personal dispute between the two men.
According to the statement attributed to Haque, Ali had allegedly developed a relationship with his wife and later eloped with her. Haque further claimed that his wife left behind their differently-abled child and allegedly took INR 5 lakh with her.
Police are now investigating the allegations made by the accused as well as the circumstances in which the social media account was allegedly compromised and the threatening message posted.
The authorities are also examining the digital trail associated with the account to determine how it was accessed and whether anyone else was involved in the alleged act.
Police have initiated further investigation into the case and are expected to examine the electronic evidence, the social media activity and the alleged personal dispute between the accused and the account holder.
Officials said the investigation would seek to establish the sequence of events leading to the threatening post and determine the applicable legal provisions.
The arrest comes amid heightened scrutiny of threats issued through social media platforms against public figures and the misuse of digital accounts to circulate potentially criminal content.