'Girl wasn’t trying to sneak into boys’ hostel': TOI debunks viral suitcase video from OP Jindal University

GURGAON: A video from O P 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 hostel.
The university said it was prank gone too far and was taking action against the students. Although the video - which surfaced on Saturday morning - does not show any boy in it, sources at the university said one had indeed sneaked into the girls' hostel, prompting questions on security and checks.
You may have heard of a "packed campus life". This was, however, a prank gone wrong.
A video from OP Jindal University in Sonipat - featuring a girl emerging out of a suitcase like a magician's escape - has triggered talks on social media, with many describing it as a boy's 'Romeo-and-Juliet' style attempt to smuggle his love into his hostel.
Although the video - which surfaced on Saturday morning - does not show any boy in it, sources at the university said one had indeed sneaked into the girls' hostel, prompting questions on security and checks. It was not immediately clear if this was linked to the suitcase incident.
The university, however, has clarified the incident, calling it a prank gone too far.
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 dehumanizing," one user wrote, referring to social and cultural pressures.
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.
The incident also rekindled memories of a similar case at Manipal Institute of Technology, where a student tried - and failed - to sneak his girlfriend into the hostel using a suitcase in Feb 2022.
The plan unravelled when the hostel caretaker noticed the unusually bulky suitcase and became suspicious.