They were hailed as national heroines after footage emerged of them fighting back against men alleged to have sexually harassed them on a bus in India.

But a new video of Indian sisters Pooja, 19, and Aarti Kumar, 22, showing them starting a fight with another man has cast doubt on their story, fuelling accusations that they are 'man-beaters'.

In a further twist, claims have also been made by female passengers on the bus in Haryana, north India, that the original fight was over seats, not because the young women were sexually harassed.

Their 'self-defence' on Friday prompted widespread praise and the promise of a cash reward from the government, The Times reported.

But the new video shows the women talking to a man sat on a bench in a park, before one of the sisters grabs him by the shirt while the other hits him with her bag.

The man, seemingly confused by the attack, backs away and tries to hold one of the sisters' flailing arms as punches and slaps rain down on him.

He is left with no option but to turn his back and run while one of the women casually checks her phone, as if nothing has happened.

The Kumar sisters claim the man had been verbally harassing them but this is not clear from the video.

The footage emerged amid claims by passengers on the same bus as the sisters, who study at Rohtak Government College, that the fight was over seats and that the girls were not sexually harassed, as they have claimed.

Passengers watched as the sisters beat up their three alleged abusers with a belt after no one intervened to help them.

But according to the Times of India, one witness, Bimla Devi, said: 'The two sisters were sitting on seat No. 8 which was allotted to an unwell woman passenger.

'When the boys asked the sisters to vacate the seat, the two refused and started fighting.'

The sisters claim the men had been touching Aarti and that they grabbed her by the throat after she told them to stop.

Coming to her sister's defence, Pooja removed her belt and began hitting, kicking and punching the man holding her sister until he let go.

They say they were forced off the bus and were only able to escape the men after throwing a brick at then.  

(dailymail.co.uk)