Model Ushoshi Sengupta said on Wednesday that it would have been better had the alleged harassers been arrested before her Facebook post became viral and triggered a public outcry.

“Top police officers took prompt action after the post went viral. But it would have been better had the action been taken before that. The reaction from the ground-level cops was disheartening,” Ushoshi said.

The model’s Facebook post and an accompanying video, which shows some of the suspects, have been shared 16,000 times and triggered 10,000 reactions. Calcutta police responded to the post with the comment: “We have taken this incident very seriously and seven persons have been arrested so far.”

Ushoshi said after she shared her experience on Facebook on Tuesday, Calcutta police commissioner Anuj Sharma called her and informed her that seven suspects had been arrested.

“I am privileged because people from the media are standing before me with microphones. A lot of women choose not to report such incidents,” she said.

Ushoshi also raised the question in a Facebook post: “But the question is about what happens when a normal citizen walks into a police station. Today I am grateful to know few people and (have) the support of media and the social media community but what happens to a normal person. Even my Uber driver who probably wouldn’t have been able to do anything alone…”

Ushoshi was returning home early on Tuesday in an app cab with a colleague when some bikers allegedly hit the vehicle near the Exide crossing, blocked their way and threatened the driver with dire consequences. Another round of harassment followed when the group waylaid the cab again at Lake Gardens.

Ushoshi sought help from an officer of Maidan police station during the first incident and later went to Charu Market police station to lodge a complaint. On both occasions the cops said to have been initially reluctant to act on the ground that the Exide crossing was beyond their jurisdiction.