A "fundamentalist" who threatened to carry out terror attacks targeting temples and Sunni mosques and flare up communal passions, has been arrested, police said on Friday.

Shekh Yusufuddin (32) was picked up from near the bus stand at Dandoti village in Chitapur taluk of Gulbarga on Thursday night, Additional Superintendent of Police M N Nagaraj told reporters.

An engineering graduate in textiles, Yusufuddin, described by the police as "fundamentalist-terrorist", had threatened to carry out explosions at the Sharanabasasweshwara temple and Mehabbas Masjid in Gulbarga.

He had written letters to the management of these two shrines, threatening blasts there as well as in some other temples and mosques.

Yusufuddin also threatened to subject Hindu and Sunni women to "mass rape", Nagaraj said.

According to police, the man, who comes from a well-to-do family, is not known to be affiliated to any fundamentalist or terrorist organisation.

Yusufuddin was preparing to take civil services exam and had enrolled himself to coaching classes at the temple premises, police said.