Three youths have been arrested in Mangaluru on charges ofattempting to molest a teenaged girl and vandalising a bar-cum-restaurant here where she was celebrating her birthday along with friends, police said on Monday. CCTV footage of the incident that happened on Saturday was shared widely on social media.

The accused, one of whom was known to the 18-year old woman, had tried to molest her in the restaurant and attacked her friends with lethal weapons, police commissioner N Shashi Kumar told reporters here on Monday. The incident took place at Coconut Grove restaurant at Bendoorwell in the city around 12:45 pm on Saturday afternoon. 

Two of the arrested were aged 19 while the other was 18. They are Thrishool Salian, Santhosh Poojary and Dyanish Aran D'Crus. The commissioner said the woman, pursuing her PUC, was staying with her grandparents and her parents are away in Canada.

The girl and one of the accused hadbeen in touch through social media and she had later spurned the friendship. The youth, along with his two friends, had barged into the restaurant and attacked them, the Commissioner said.

TNM had earlier reported the attack that took place at the restaurant was caught on CCTV camera. The visuals showed men barging into the restaurant and attacking a group of people along with the woman. Police said the woman did not sustain injuries in the incident however one of the people with her sustained minor injuries. 

Police said that the attackers planned the assault after the woman rejected the advances of one of the men. A first information report was registered at the Kadri (Mangaluru East) police station in the case accusing the trio Thrishool, Santhosh and Dyanish under charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and assault. Police said that they are investigating the case further.