My friends and I had made plans for New Year’s Eve. I had imagined an evening of fun and relaxation. But it was such a nightmare that it has left me scarred. My friends tried to protect me, but it happened nevertheless. I was so angry, I could have attacked the person who did this, but it was not one person. It was a mob.

(This story originally appeared in on Jan 4, 2017)

Manisha Gupta

Manisha Gupta, a 25-year-old IT professional, was walking towards the MG Road Metro station on New Year’s Eve. She approached Mirror and went on record as cops aren’t ready to believe anything.

Bengaluru mass molestation: Victim recounts horror

ByMy friends and I had made plans for New Year’s Eve. I had imagined an evening of fun and relaxation . But it was such a nightmare that it has left me scarred. My friends tried to protect me, but it happened nevertheless. I was so angry, I could have attacked the person who did this, but it was not one person. It was a mob.My friends and I went to MG Road at 8 pm and after a walk decided to relax at a pub. At that time, the crowd was normal and everything looked cheerful. By 11 pm, we left the pub to head back home. By now, the road was packed with people. We started walking towards the Metro station. One side of the road was barricaded. Some people asked us not to go to that side as something bad had happened with some girls there. Before I could respond, we were pushed by a crowd and my friends began surrounding me to protect me from all four sides. In spite of this, I was groped.It was impossible to catch one person in that moving crowd. There were a number of girls there who were in a similar situation. I saw a few of them crying and running for help. It seemed futile. The police were vastly outnumbered – like 20-25 to 1. There was no cheer; women were either worried or scared. It really was mass molestation. I wish the police had managed the situation better.I request the police to please be prepared for such situations in future. If you can get CCTV images, catch these men and get justice for women like me who went through such trauma.I’m just a regular girl who wanted to celebrate the New Year with my friends, just like all the men there. They told me girls should not go to such places. So will it never be safe for us?I agreed to reveal my identity because I believe I have done no wrong. I felt terrible and thought how could someone just touch me like a public property and walk away? I was shocked that there were no reports anywhere. Does it have to be a rape before someone takes notice?This is why I decided to speak out. I wish every girl who was violated there, speaks out.