Missing JnU student faked her abduction: CID

Jagannath University student Tithy Sarkar went into hiding and faked her own abduction in order to create diversion from the allegation of her "hurting religious sentiment", Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said during a press briefing at its headquarters in Malibagh.

Tithy went to Bagerhat with her boyfriend Shiplu Mallik on October 25 where they got married, said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Jamil Ahmed, of CID's Cyber Crime Unit.

They returned to Dhaka on November 9. Tipped off, two teams of CID arrested Tithy from the house of Shiplu's relative in Madhabdi area of Narsingdi around 3:45pm and Shiplu from Kaptan Bazar area in the capital around 11:45am yesterday, the official said.

Earlier on November 2, the CID arrested Niranjan Baral (50), on charge of spreading false news on social media, claiming that the missing JnU student Tithy was rescued from CID's Malibagh office while handcuffed.

"Niranjan Baral's false and misleading Facebook status about the government, to deteriorate law and order situation of the country, hurting religious sentiments and destroying communal harmony, and Tithy's hiding are pre-planned and connected incidents," the official said.

"These were done as part of a conspiracy against the country," the DIG added.

The CID said they will seek remand for Tithy and Shiplu in a case filed under the Digital Security Act with Paltan Police Station on November 2 for making "derogatory" comments about religion on Facebook.

Besides, another case will be filed against Tithy, the official informed.

According to Tithy's family members, Tithy went missing on October 25 morning after leaving her Pallabi home for the local police station. Her elder sister Srity Rani Sarker filed a missing person's report with Pallabi Police Station on October 27.

Tithy was suspended from the university on October 26 as well as from her post as the office secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad's JnU unit on October 23.

Some screenshots of Tithy Sarker's Facebook posts and comments that allegedly hurt religious sentiments went viral on social media that day.

On the same day, Tithy filed a general diary with Pallabi Police Station, stating that her Facebook account had been hacked.