Mangaluru (Karnataka): An 18-year-old engineering student was allegedly assaulted by a group of five individuals, including the owner of a boys' PG (paying guest) accommodation here, police said on Thursday.

The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Kadri police station on March 17 around 10:30 pm, they said.

Vikas, a native of Kalaburagi, had been staying at the PG accommodation for the past six months before shifting to another place, police said.

According to the complaint lodged by Vikas, he had posted a negative review on Google, giving the PG a single-star rating and highlighting issues such as the presence of insects in the food, poor hygiene, and unclean toilets.

Following the review, the PG owner, Santosh, allegedly threatened Vikas and demanded that he delete the comment. When Vikas refused, Santosh, along with four others, allegedly assaulted him and forced him to remove the review.

A case was registered against the PG owner and his associates on the complaint of the victim, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.