A senior partner at a prominent Mumbai-based law firm, who was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) for allegedly sexually abusing his minor daughter, is now at the centre of fresh controversy after the child’s mother accused authorities of “systemic failure” and serious lapses in the investigation.

The woman, a well-known author, stated that despite repeatedly approaching the police, she was turned away on multiple occasions and it was only after the intervention of the National Commission for Women (NCW) that an FIR was registered under the POCSO Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to her complaint, the abuse came to light in November 2025 after a school counsellor flagged the child’s behaviour, with the mother linking the alleged acts to the **COVID-19 pandemic period when the child was often alone with her father.

She has further alleged that the accused was never arrested and was instead given time to secure anticipatory bail, while investigators failed to promptly seize electronic devices that could have contained crucial evidence. The complainant also claimed to have submitted a pen drive containing explicit material allegedly recorded by her husband over several years and raised concerns that a key witness, who had agreed to testify in an attempted rape allegation, was not examined by the police.

Alleging procedural irregularities, she pointed to delays in serving notice and omissions in the chargesheet, including the absence of the child’s statement and a psychiatry report from Sir JJ Hospital. Police, however, have denied any wrongdoing, stating that the FIR was promptly registered after receiving the complaint from the NCW and that the investigation is being closely monitored by senior officers, with a supplementary chargesheet to be filed soon after receipt of the medical report.