City deputy CID chief ACP Ramli Din said the 49-year-old woman had lodged a report at the Brickfields police headquarters on Dec 28, alleging that a policewoman who conducted a search on her 20-year-old daughter had groped the girl's buttocks.

He said the mother also alleged that the policewoman had commented on how she was dressed and called her "sundal" (unchaste) before pushing her during the inspection, in a joint operation to weed out vice, fake branded goods and illegal immigrants by authorities on Dec 23.

Wan Nurizan Shaikh Mohamad and her daughters, Farina Hidayah and Lily Soraya, were arrested by police after the mother allegedly shouted profanities at the policewoman.

They were detained at the city contingent police headquarters, and the following day, Nurizan was charged in court for using profanities on the policewoman under the Minor Offences Act, to which she claimed trial and was released on bail.

Ramli said that after the report was lodged, an investigating officer from the Dang Wangi police headquarters had telephoned the woman to make an appointment to record her statement but she had said she was not free.

The next day, she turned up at the Dang Wangi headquarters without an appointment and left after she was told the investigating officer was off-duty.

Police said the policewoman was only carrying out procedure when she conducted an external search on Farina after noticing a bulge in the back pocket of her trousers.

"We are investigating her report and view it very seriously. Six police personnel who were involved in the operation have had their statements recorded," Ramli said.

"We will also record statements from members of the media who were present at the scene," he said.

Nurizan had also sought the assistance of Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and lawyer S.N. Nair.