Malappuram: Perinthalmanna police on Monday arrested a man for allegedly threatening and circulating defamatory content targeting Panakkad Sayed Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal, the state president of the Indian Union Muslim League.

The accused, Muhammed Roshan, a native of Perinthalmanna, was taken into custody from Uttar Pradesh on Sunday and brought to Kerala on Monday to be produced before a court.

Police said Roshan is involved in multiple criminal cases, including attempted murder and robbery. A case was  registered against him for allegedly issuing threats, attempting blackmail, and posting defamatory content on social media.

According to the FIR, Roshan had demanded ₹15 crore from Thangal, claiming he possessed photos and videos linked to the IUML leader. He allegedly threatened to release the content on social media if the money was not paid.

The complaint states that on January 31, around 5 pm, the accused called Thangal and an associate to a mall in Perinthalmanna, where he showed them unclear visuals on his mobile phone and claimed they were related to the leader. He then demanded money and allegedly issued death threats if the matter was reported to the police.

Though the demand was rejected, a fake Facebook account named “shanu shanu” later published defamatory content against Thangal on March 21. The post was subsequently removed and the account deleted.

Following this, the party’s state committee approached the police, which led to the case being registered. Police suspect Roshan’s role in the social media post.

Officials said the accused has not yet disclosed details about his involvement in the Facebook post or whether others were part of the conspiracy. “We expect more details to emerge during detailed interrogation,” a senior police officer said.