Bipasha molested at Rain, John plays her real life hero

While confirming the incident to media, Abraham said: ‘‘I did beat the man who tried to mess around with Bipasha. I taught him a lesson. I will do so with anyone else who tries to do the same.’’

Eyewitnesses said Basu was so shaken up, she wept a long time and was inconsolable. Actors Bobby Deol, Fardeen Khan and Saahil Khan were also reportedly present at the restaurant when the incident occurred. No complaint was registered with police.

Reacting to the incident, another model-turned-actress, Dipannita Sharma, also a close friend and former flatmate of Basu, said: ‘‘It happens to every girl, not just a famous or a pretty one.’’ ‘‘I’ve lived in Delhi for five years and have travelled by bus there. It’s a common occurrence in Delhi,’’ she said.

‘‘It’s happened to me too,’’ says another model-actress Nethra Raghuraman, ‘‘but it’s not something I want to even talk about,’’ she added.

Raghuraman has been brave enough to slap the offender once, while model Diandra Soares admits this a regular occurrence. ‘‘I’ve had so many of these incidents where I’ve beaten up so many people and it’s been happening since I was in college,’’ she says.

Vidisha Pavate stays away from nightclubs and public places. ‘‘I rarely go out without my husband or father by my side,’’ she admitted. Pavate recalls how once when she was travelling by an auto-rickshaw, a cyclist riding in the opposite direction stuck his hand out and touched her. ‘‘I could do nothing,’’ Pavate said. ‘‘By the time I realised what had happened he was already gone.’’

‘‘The minute you confront them, they crumble. They don’t know what to do anymore,’’ said Soares. ‘‘They learn their lesson and they won’t try it again with anyone else. Besides, you don’t need too much strength to slap someone,’’ she said.