mumbai
A general view of Marine Drive is seen along the Arabian sea in Mumbai, India, Sept. 8, 2016. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui

A young couple was caught on camera allegedly having sex on a busy road in the western Indian city of Mumbai. The bizarre incident was witnessed by hundreds of people and was recorded by pedestrians.

The incident took place Thursday in the busy Marine Drive area of south Mumbai. The video was later shared on social media and quickly went viral. Such incidents are uncommon in India.

Officials arrived at the scene of the incidents after someone alerted the Police Control Room which rushed a mobile van from Marine Drive Police Station, local media reported. The couple was seen in the video adjusting their clothes when police arrived.

The woman was detained but the man, believed to be a foreign national, escaped. Police have launched a search for the man and scanned the CCTV footages in the area to identify him. Police are seeking help from Foreigners Regional Registration Office to determine the man's identity.

"Initially we thought they were kissing. By the time the police reached, they had crossed the road. The incident caused a commotion and a man in the crowd said that they were having sex. By then, the foreign national had made good his escape, but we detained the woman," one police officer was told The Free Press Journal.

During questioning, the woman said she was from Goa -- a popular tourist location in India. However, she later kept changing her statement to police. She also told police they were not having sex and were just kissing.

"The woman appears to be mentally unstable. She has been sent to the Mahila Suraksha Kendra in Chembur and further investigations are on," said Mumbai's Deputy Commissioner of Police M K Sharma.

No charges have been filed against the woman so far.