Una, June 20 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and Congress MLA Rakesh Kalia have received death threats via social media, prompting the police to register an FIR at Haroli police station late Thursday night.

The case is being investigated seriously, given the use of threatening language involving sharp weapons and hints at political targeting.

According to the complaint filed by Arun Kumar, a resident of Haroli, a Facebook post related to the recent arrest of notorious gangster Amrish Rana had attracted disturbing comments. On June 19, a user named Dilip Kumar commented, “The public is demanding swords again.” In response, another user using the alias Sharpshooter Nabaiwala wrote, “This time, it will be used on a politician.”

Another user, Randeep Thakur, asked, “For what crime?” To this, sharpshooter Nabaiwala replied, “Only the Deputy CM and MLA Rakesh Kalia know.” Alarmed by the exchange, Arun Kumar reported the incident to the police.

Both leaders hail from Una district — Mukesh Agnihotri represents the Haroli constituency, while Rakesh Kalia recently won the Gagret by-election.

Police are now investigating whether the individuals making the threats have any link with Amrish Rana, who was released from jail a few months ago after serving a 25-year sentence. However, soon after his release, Rana became involved in an illegal mining case, which led to his re-arrest.

The threats appear to be directly connected to social media reactions over Rana's arrest. The use of terms like "sharpshooter" and reference to sharp-edged weapons has alarmed authorities, as such gangster-style threats are unprecedented in the peaceful hill state of Himachal Pradesh.

UNI ML PRS