Guwahati: Two persons have been arrested here for their involvement in circulating an SMS, offering to kill Assam Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma using a bomb, police said on Friday.

Both the arrested persons were employees of Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, police said.

Assam Director General of Police (DGP) Mukesh Sahay said police are questioning the duo to ascertain the motive behind the circulation of the SMS. He said the duo had sent the text SMS to a few politicians among others.

“We have arrested the duo based on interception of an SMS that they are ready to bomb the education minister during any of the forthcoming public meetings at Jalukbari area and demanded Rs 5 crore for the job,” said the DGP.

The police officer, however, said police are ascertaining whether there was any plan or blueprint to bomb the minister or it is just mischief being played by some disgruntled elements.

“After intercepting the SMS, we traced the location of the mobile and arrested two persons,” Sahay said adding that only detailed interrogation will clear the matter.

The DGP said circulating such a SMS is a crime under the IT Act. “We are taking the matter seriously and all angles are being probed to unearth the truth,” he said.

Unofficial sources said the text SMSes were being sent to former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, former Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Ripun Bora and many others.