Mumbai, May 1 (IANS) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) rank officer was arrested by Mumbai Police for allegedly molesting a minor girl. The Worli Police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act following the disturbing incident.

According to Mumbai Police, the high-ranking officer was apprehended on charges of performing obscene acts and molesting a 9-year-old girl inside a public garden in Worli. Following his arrest, the accused was produced before a local court, which subsequently remanded him to judicial custody.

According to officials at the Worli Police Station, the incident happened when the victim had gone to play at a garden in the vicinity. It is alleged that the officer approached the child, performed indecent acts in her presence, and coerced her into touching his private parts. Distressed by the encounter, the girl fled to her home and recounted the ordeal to her mother.

The victim’s mother, who works as a domestic helper, immediately reported the incident. Worli Police dispatched a team to the scene to initiate an investigation. Based on preliminary questioning and the identification of the suspect, the officer was taken into custody within a few hours of the complaint.

The investigation has since widened after another minor boy approached the police. He alleged that approximately one week prior, the same officer had subjected him to similar inappropriate behavior. Authorities have incorporated this testimony into their probe and are conducting a separate inquiry to verify these additional claims.

The accused has been booked under Sections 74 and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 12 of the POCSO Act. A senior police official emphasised the gravity of the allegations, stating that swift action was taken to ensure a rigorous legal process. However, investigators face a significant hurdle: the absence of CCTV surveillance at Singh Garden, leaving the case dependent on witness testimony and forensic evidence.

The officer, originally a resident of Nagpur, had been posted to the office of the Director General of Police (DGP) in Mumbai since November 2025. Attached to the Police Communication and IT Department, he was residing alone at the Worli Police Camp at the time of the incident.

This arrest has sparked serious concerns regarding accountability, discipline, and the efficacy of oversight mechanisms for officers in sensitive positions. Mumbai Police officials have assured the public that the matter is being investigated from every possible angle to ensure justice is served.

–IANS

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