Girl smuggled into university hostel in suitcase

GURGAON: A video from OP Jindal University in Sonipat - featuring a girl emerging out of a suitcase like a magician's escape - went viral on social media, with many describing it as a boy's 'Romeo-and-Juliet' style attempt to smuggle his love into his hostel. The university said it was prank gone too far and was taking action against the students.

Although the video - which surfaced Saturday - does not show any boy in it, sources at the university said one had indeed sneaked into the girls' hostel.

It was not immediately clear if this was linked to the suitcase incident.

According to Anjoo Mohun, director of communications at the university, the video shows a group of girl students moving their friend around the hostel in a large suitcase as part of a "light-hearted" joke.

"This was a prank, entirely confined to the premises of the girls' hostel. The suitcase was carried into a public area within the hostel, where security personnel monitoring CCTV footage noticed suspicious activity and intervened. When they opened the suitcase, they found a girl inside," she said.

With the video spreading far and wide - and attracting a volley of reactions - the university promised disciplinary action against every student involved in the 'prank'. On Saturday evening, the students had received show-cause notices, asking them to appear before a disciplinary committee by the end of this month.

The university emphasised that student safety remained a top priority. "We're treating the matter seriously. While no one was harmed, such actions can raise security concerns and have unintended consequences," it said in a statement.

The university also urged people to refrain from sharing "unverified information" and respect the "privacy and dignity" of the students involved.

But through the day, the video drew a mix of reactions on social media.

Many were quick to criticise the strict restrictions that compel couples to resort to such extreme measures. "The length that people need to go to just to get some private time with their loved ones in this country is so dehumanising," one user wrote.

Others took a lighter approach. "On the bright side, he carried her alive," one posted. Some could not resist poking fun at the risks involved. "Itna bada risk kaun leta hai?" one remarked, questioning why the couple did not opt for an affordable hotel instead.