Morigaon, August 16: Four people, including a man whose Facebook account was allegedly used to post a death threat against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, have been arrested in Morigaon in connection with the incident. Those arrested are Abdul Mutaleb, his father Abdul Khaleq, elder brother Abu Taleb and another youth, Rashidul Islam, all from Baralimari, police sources said, on Sunday.

The four are being questioned to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged threat and determine who was behind the post. The arrests followed a death threat that appeared in the comments section of Sarma’s Facebook Live broadcast of his Independence Day address on Friday.

The comment, posted from an account bearing Mutaleb’s name, allegedly threatened to kill the Chief Minister and claimed the act would be carried out for Rs 1 crore. Morigaon Police had initially detained Mutaleb after the comment came to their notice.

His father, brother and Rashidul Islam were subsequently taken into custody for questioning, the sources said. Mutaleb, however, has denied making the threat and claimed that his identity had been misused.

“This is false. The person who actually did this should be investigated and arrested.

I did not make the threat. Someone opened a fake account using my name and photograph and posted it.

It is not my account,” Mutaleb said. Mutaleb, who said he works as a tailor, claimed that people with malicious intentions had used his photograph to create the account and post the threat.

“There is a sewing machine at my home and I work as a tailor. Some people with malicious intentions have used my photograph to do this.

The police should investigate the matter properly and take action,” he said. He also said he was preparing to approach the police to lodge a complaint over the alleged misuse of his identity.

Police are now investigating whether the Facebook account belongs to Mutaleb and who actually posted the threatening comment.