MUMBAI: A 30-year-old political activist has been arrested for allegedly issuing threats on a social networking website on Sunday to NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad, the police said. The accused has been booked under IPC sections pertaining to defamation and criminal intimidation and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act. While one accused has been nabbed, search for his accomplice is underway.

Police sources said that the accused, identified as Mirza Rehan Azmi, had allegedly posted an objectionable message on Mr Awhad's Facebook wall abusing him in a rash language and threatening him by writing, “tujhko khatam kar dunga”, which means: “I will finish you off.” The threat also mentioned that once Awhad is killed, only then Mumbra constituency would improve. Mr Awhad, the MLA from the Kalwa-Mumbra constituency in Thane district, had earlier fallen prey to his Facebook account being hacked and has now become a victim of threats.

Mr Awhad said, “The threats were written in very cheap language, and cheap abuses were hurled at me, pointing to my mother and sister. The accused should have kept in mind that he is an activist of a political party. His leaders should stop their workers from using such language.”

“The police are acting swiftly and I believe in the judiciary. The probe will take its course,” added Awhad. Sukhada Narkar, the Thane police spokesperson, said, “We have registered a case based on a complaint registered by an office-bearer of the NCP women's wing with the Mumbra police against two persons in this connection.”

Mrs Narkar added, “The police arrested Azmi, who is an activis, and launched a search for the other person.”