Agartala, Oct 10 (IANS): The Tripura Women's Commission Friday severely condemned the assault on and molestation of a woman by a section of people in full public glare in Agartala, the capital of Tripura, official said.

A 37-year-old woman was assaulted and molested by a group of people here, including women, earlier this week.

Some people were consuming alcohol in the public to which the husband of the woman protested. The people, instead tried to force him to consume alcohol. When the woman tried to rescue her husband, she was assaulted and molested.

No one from the crowd came forward to her rescue.

The issue came to light when a local television channel aired the incident.

"This incident was barbaric," Tripura Women's Commission's chairperson Purnima Roy told reporters.

She said that a fact-finding team of the commission has visited the victim's house and talked to the family members.

Deputy Superintendent of police (Central) Rajendra Datta said the victim has filed a complaint against 18 people, including some women.

"The accused have obtained anticipatory bail from a local court here," Datta told IANS.

The opposition parties have claimed that crimes against women were increasing rapidly in Tripura but the Left Front government has remained a silent spectator.

Senior leaders of political parties, including Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party, met top police officials here demanding stern action against the accused named in the FIR.