Indira’s demand to cops - Where is my daughter?
Indira (centre) wants to know what police are doing to trace her daughter. The Malaysian Insider picA kindergarten teacher who won a judgment to quash her husband's decision to convert her three children to Islam wants to know what police are doing about reuniting her with her third child, who he is illegally holding.
She has now instructed her lawyer M. Kula Segaran to pursue the matter with the police.
M. Indira Gandhi said two years ago after she won a custody battle to keep her three children, her former husband, Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, ran off with her third child Prasana Diksa.
"I want to know what the police have done to locate my daughter. The court had ruled that the children are to be with me," she told The Malaysian Insider today.
Two of her children, Tevi Darsiny, 16, and Karan Dinish, 15, are with her.
Indira said she lodged a police report at the Ipoh police station after she won custody in November 2011.
"But up till now the police have not said anything to me or done anything about my report," she said.
She had said that she was yearning to be reunited with Prasana Diksa who was then a toddler.
Indira said it has been more than four years since she was separated from her child and was now doubtful whether the daughter could recognise her.
Kula Segaran, who is DAP vice-chairman and Ipoh Barat MP, said he would contact police to get a status report as it has been a long time since his client made a complaint.
"I believe that Muhammad Riduan now has committed a criminal wrong like abduction for continuing to retain Prasana following the custody order to Indira Gandhi," he said.
He said the police should know the whereabouts of Muhammad Riduan and Prasana.
"He is believed to be in Kelantan but I am not sure whether the daughter is with him," he said.
Muhammad Riduan had in the past attended court and this included bringing along Prasana when the court was in the midst of deciding who should have custody.
"I believe his lawyers are in touch with him or else how are they being instructed?" he asked.
Last month, Judicial Commissioner Lee Swee Seng quashed the conversion of the three minors to Islam which were made without Indira's knowledge.
Lee said the conversion was unconstitutional because it was done without hearing the mother or the children.
He also said the conversion was unlawful as the Perak Syariah law states that children must be present to utter the affirmation of faith.
Lee had also ruled that the conversion was against the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Indira married Muhammad Riduan, then known as K. Patmanathan, 20 years ago, according to Hindu rites.
On March 11, 2009, he converted to Islam.
The following month, he converted their three children to Islam without the knowledge of his wife.
That same month, the Syariah Court granted him custody of his three children.
The couple separated and the husband took the youngest child with him.
Kula Segaran also said he was served a notice early this week that the director of the Islamic Religious Department, Registrar of Converts and the Perak government had filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal to challenge Lee's ruling.
Indira had also made Muhammad Riduan and the federal government a party to her suit.
However, Muhammad Riduan may have a problem appearing before the Court of Appeal because he is also in contempt of court for not returning Prasana Diksa to the mother.
A Federal Court had held that persons in contempt of court would not be heard unless the contempt was purged. -- August 11, 2013.
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