MANGALURU: With

in force and his apartment complex banning the entry of outsiders, a 17-year-old boy smuggled a male friend of his allegedly in a large

in the early hours of Sunday in

.

According to police, the PU student wanted to catch up with his classmate, and his repeated appeals for allowing his friend into the building were turned down by the apartment association. However, representatives of the association denied receiving a request from the boy.

Sources told TOI the boy stepped out of the apartment on a scooter with a huge suitcase around 2am, Sunday. He picked up his friend, who lives in a neighbouring locality, and brought him to the apartment complex. He parked the scooter outside the building and got his friend to sit inside the suitcase and dragged it into the complex.

Guards noticed something was fishy

Police said security guards noticed something unusual - a boy lugging a suitcase in the dead of the night minutes after going out on a scooter - and alerted the apartment association after daybreak. Around 8.30am, the boy and his friend stepped out for a stroll. After spotting the duo in the common area, the guards informed the association president.

The boy reportedly admitted to smuggling in the boy between 2am and 3am. This was corroborated by CCTV footage that was examined later in the day.

The building owners' association approached the police with a complaint. The parents of the boys, who were called to the police station, were shocked to learn about the incident.

City police commissioner PS Harsha said a case has been registered at Mangaluru East police station and both the boys will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. Sources said the boy was alone in the house on Saturday night.