Hindu mother gets custody of her Muslim children

Deepa at the High Court on Monday. She was awarded the custody of her two children who had been converted to Islam by their father.

SEREMBAN: The High Court here awarded the custody of two children who had been converted to Islam by their father to their 30-year-old Hindu mother.

Judge Datuk Zabariah Mohd Yusof who made her decision in chambers on Monday said custody should go to S. Deepa, as she had married her ex-husband now known as Izwan Abdullah, 31, under the Law Reform Act.

She also granted Deepa’s divorce application.

Also present in court was Izwan as well as the couple’s two children, aged six and nine.

Deepa who married Izwan in 2004 had during an interview with The Star in June last year claimed that her husband had abandoned the family in February the previous year.

She claimed that in April last year, he took both their children to the Pusat Dakwah Islam here, and converted them without her knowledge.

Prior to this, the Syariah Court had awarded custody of the two children to their father.

Deepa was only allowed visitation rights once a fortnight.

Her former husband will be appealing the High Court's decision.