Wellington, Nov 8 (IANS): Indian women in Auckland, New Zealand's largest and most populous urban area, are facing a wave of sexual harassment from their own countrymen, a media report said Saturday.

"Horrendous 'eve-teasing' seems to be happening in Auckland now," stuff.co.nz quoted an Indian woman as saying. The woman claimed she was walking to a Diwali event wearing a sari when she was approached by an Indian man in a car who harassed her for 20 minutes.

A masters student here for five years said she initially took pity on the young men saying they were struggling to get good home-cooked Indian food in New Zealand.

She would help them, but no longer."Now, looking at the mentality of some students I am scared to even talk to these new students," she was quoted as saying.

Nearly 12,000 Indian students study in Auckland and they form the second largest group of foreign students in the country.

Women say that aggressive flirting takes place on social media sites as well.

On various Facebook pages like the 6,000-member Indians living in Auckland, the 4,690-strong New Zealand Punjabis and the Punjabi in New Zealand stress over sexual harassment is showing up, the report said.

One closed group has taken to naming men they say are involved in such harassment.

A woman in her Facebook post said the men should be ignored. "They will only understand when it happens with their sisters... Other women have related similar experiences."

A man responded to all the complaints, saying "if a woman is married or taken, one should have the decency to stay away".

Another woman said: "I came to know the mentality of some men after coming to New Zealand. They are not even ashamed to show their level in public profile."