BENGALURU: Five boys allegedly harassed a 23-year-old international swimmer , who moved to Bengaluru about two years ago for training, around 1.30am on Sunday.

The woman had gone out for dinner with her coach and a few other swimmers. Two of her friends dropped her at the start of the lane leading to her house, about 1.5 km from JP Park in Mathikere, north Bengaluru. After her friends left, the woman began walking towards her house. This was when the boys accosted her.

"I didn't react," the woman told TOI. "I walked away."

The boys, she alleged, used abusive and inappropriate language. The boys have been detained and charged with trying to outrage the modesty of a woman.

"On reaching home, I called the police control room and reported the matter," the woman said, adding she was scared to lodge a complaint at the station. The police control room alerted the jurisdictional Yeshwantpur police.

While officials at the station told TOI in the morning they weren't aware of the case, inspector Krishna said: "When we got the call, we were told the boys were partying at a house as late as 1.30am and a woman had made the call. I instructed the sub-inspector to rush to the spot. We detained the boys and found they had consumed alcohol."

He said two of the boys had exams on Sunday. "We couldn't let them miss the exams as we didn't know the facts of the case," he said. "So we seized their car, a Maruti Esteem, and let them appear for the exams, asking them to return soon after."

In the evening, Krishna confirmed to TOI the police had registered a complaint against the five boys, all above 18 years old. Though the woman hasn't lodged a complaint, the police have the power to register a suo motu case.

The mother of another swimmer said: "My 11-year-old daughter trains with this woman at a place close to her house. I've learnt about instances of eve-teasing in the past."

The police identified the arrested as Nitin, Bishab, Nawaz, Sanath, Sanjay and George, and declined to give their second names. "We've booked the boys under Section 354 of the IPC (assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty)," DCP (north) T R Suresh told TOI.

