The religious head received SMSs on his mobile phone yesterday, allegedly threating to kill him, they said.
Irate followers protested over the incident and demanded strict action, they said.
"The accused Shivkumar has been arrested and the mobile used for sending threat messages recovered from his possession," City Superintendent of Police, Sarvan Kumar told newspersons here.
A case has been registered against the accused, police said, adding that security has been tightened and extra police deployed in the town as a precautionary measure.