Police today claimed that Faruk Hassan, a joint convener of the quota reformist platform, has been shown arrested in an arson case.

Additional Commissioner of Detective Branch Debdas Bhattacharya told The Daily Star that Faruk has been shown arrested in the case filed with Shahbagh Police Station on April 11.

Humyan Kabir, inspector of Special Branch (SB) of Police in Dhaka, filed the case accusing 30 to 40 unidentified people for torching his motorcycle and snatching his walkie-talkie from Doyel Chattar at the DU campus during a demonstration of students demanding reform to quota system in the civil service.

Faruk went traceless after he was mauled at Dhaka University and taken away by activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League yesterday.

Later this afternoon, Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, acknowledged to The Daily Star that Faruk has been detained.

According to a top police officer wishing to remain unnamed, Faruk will be sought in remand after being shown arrested in a lawsuit, much like his comrade in movement Rashed Khan.

Meanwhile, his elder brother Ariful Islam told The Daily Star he has been searching for news of Faruk through Shahbagh, New Market, and Ramna police stations, but nobody could give him any information.

The way in which Faruk was assaulted near Central Shaheed Minar yesterday during a programme of the quota reformist platform sparked a storm in the social media.

He was mauled, manhandled, dragged and stomped upon, allegedly by Chhatra League activists and taken away. Last they said before Faruk vanished was – he was handed over to Shahbagh Police Station.

However, Shahbagh police had since been denying detention of Faruk.