Bengaluru, March 18 (IANS) An alleged protest stunt meant to go viral on social media triggered panic at a courier service centre in Bengaluru’s Vyalikaval area on Wednesday after a family attempted to send an elderly man as a “human parcel” to highlight the difficulty in getting bus seats and rising fares during the festive season.

As the prank turned serious, the family has tendered apologies for the stunt. However, the Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh stated on Wednesday that a case will be registered against the family as such actions send a wrong message to society.

The video of the episode has gone viral on social media.

According to police, the incident occurred at a courier office where a group of family members arrived with a large gunny sack and presented it as a parcel. When the package was opened, staff were shocked to find an elderly man inside, visibly distressed and struggling to breathe.

Alarmed by the situation, the courier staff immediately alerted the Vyalikaval police, who rushed to the spot and found a scene of confusion and concern.

Preliminary enquiry revealed that the act was allegedly a pre-planned stunt intended to create a social media reel highlighting the difficulty of securing bus tickets during the upcoming Ugadi and Eid festivals.

The family reportedly attempted to symbolically portray that “couriering a person” was the only option left due to sold-out bus seats.

The elderly man placed inside the sack was later identified as the father of one of the women involved in the act. Police said the group included the woman, her husband, her mother-in-law and her brother-in-law.

Officials said the situation could have turned serious as the man was found gasping for air when the sack was opened, raising concerns of possible suffocation.

The family was taken to the Vyalikaval police station, where they issued a public apology for the incident. In a recorded video statement, they admitted that the act was irresponsible and dangerous and said they had intended it as a satirical protest.

They clarified that their intention was not to commit any offence but to highlight the difficulties faced by travellers due to high fares and limited bus connectivity during festival periods. The family said they had underestimated the seriousness of their actions and sought forgiveness from the public and the police, assuring that such a mistake would not be repeated.

However, commenting on the development, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Singh said the police would register a case in connection with the incident.

“There is no treatment for such craziness. However, we will register a case as such actions send a wrong message on social media. We will also seek more details from the Deputy Commissioner of Police regarding the motive behind the act,” he said.

–IANS

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