KUALA LUMPUR: Rights groups have ramped up the pressure on police to arrest Riduan Abdullah, in the long-running child abduction case involving M. Indira Gandhi, after there were suggestions that he was still in the country.
Riduan, formerly known as Patmanathan Krishnan, had abducted the couple’s youngest child, Prasana Diksa when she was 11 months old, in 2009 and has not been by her mother since.
Prasana, believed to be now 17 years old may not even know she has a biological mother and two siblings – Tevi Darsiny, 27, and Karan Dinish, 26, who are staying with Indira.
Two rights groups have urged the police to act without further delay after Riduan’s name surfaced in connection with the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) RM100 and Budi95 government aid programmes, which are only applicable in the country.
The latest development has placed renewed scrutiny on the police enforcement of a Federal Court order issued in 2018 requiring Riduan to return Prasana to Indira.
SIS Forum (Malaysia) executive director Rozana Isa said the new claims, if credible, warrant an immediate and transparent clarification from the authorities.
She said the Federal Court’s ruling must be upheld fully.
“A Federal Court order is not optional. When such an order involving a child’s safety and a mother’s rights goes unexecuted for 17 years, it becomes a systemic concern,” Rozana said.
“The police owe an explanation, and more importantly, immediate action.”
She urged the authorities to prioritise the case and provide regular updates to avoid further erosion of public confidence in the justice system.
Lawyers for Liberty co-founder and human rights advocate Latheefa Koya said documentation presented by Indira’s legal team suggests Riduan may have accessed digital public aid services, raising questions as to why he has not been located.
“Every right-minded Malaysian is asking why the police cannot find the absconding father and return the child in accordance with the court order,” she said.
“Are court orders to be treated lightly?”
Latheefa said the government must provide clarity, adding that the duty to enforce court rulings lies squarely with the authorities.
“It is the legal responsibility of the police to execute the order. The longer this failure continues, the more it undermines public confidence in the justice system and the rule of law,” she said.
The case began in 2009 when Riduan converted to Islam and subsequently converted the couple’s three children without Indira’s consent. He later left with the youngest child, Prasana.
Indira obtained an Ipoh High Court order on May 30, 2014 to jail Riduan for contempt of court for not surrendering Prasana to her, and the court had also ordered that a search for the girl be conducted to return the child to Indira’s custody.
The case proceeded up to the Federal Court, where the apex court had ruled on Apr 29, 2016 that Riduan should be arrested and a warrant of committal was then issued. The apex court then directed that the then Inspector-General of Police (Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar) had to abide by the apex court’s order to arrest Riduan.
The court also overturned the unilateral conversion of her two other children and ruled that conversion of children below 18 must have the consent of both parents.
Despite repeated enforcement directives and public appeals, Riduan has not been found, leading to ongoing criticism over the handling of the case and calls for improved mechanisms to address custody disputes involving differing religious jurisdictions.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
