Bangalore New Year: 'People were grabbing, groping'

Police in India say they have credible evidence that widespread sexual assaults took place at New Year's Eve celebrations in Bangalore. 

Several women have said they were molested by mobs of men, though police say they have had no official complaints from victims yet.

One woman, a marketing professional who asked to be identified only as Pooja, was at the event and told the BBC what happened to her.

Pooja's story

On 31 December, we decided to go to a bar on Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Road. At 11.30 I came out to make a call and found that everything was quiet and calm.

At 12:30 my friend who was to pick me up called me to say that the police had put barricades and he had to park his motorbike at the Shankar Nag theatre. He told me to start walking towards that side and he would meet me halfway. I said goodbye to my friends and started walking towards the Brigade Road side.

• Athlete saves girls from 'molesters'
• India anger as minister blames 'Western' behaviour
• #NotAllMen angers Indian women

In between, I saw people rushing and walking but I did not expect them to do anything.

I believed Bangalore was a safe city until then. What happened next shocked me a lot. People were pushing and shoving, touching, grabbing, groping and everything was happening on that street.
It was not only to me. It was happening to other girls too. They were all scared.

'I felt so helpless'

Suddenly, someone pushed me and I fell down. There was no-one to pick me up. Then a group of girls helped me get up. Their friends had formed a circle around them so they could walk safely.

I asked them if I could go with them. Even then when we were walking, there were guys who were trying to touch here and there.