A-G appeals against order compelling IGP to arrest Indira Gandhi’s ex-husband

IPOH: The Attorney-General’s Chambers has filed an appeal against the mandamus order obtained by kindergarten teacher M. Indira Gandhi to compel Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar to arrest her ex-husband and retrieve her youngest child.

Indira Gandhi’s lawyer, M. Kula Segaran said the A-G had served a notice of appeal, which was filed with the Court of Appeal, on Monday.

“I should think that the A-G will also try to stay the mandamus order after failing to do so at the Ipoh High Court last Friday but we will fight it out.

“By right, the IGP still has to do as the court says since no stay order has been granted,” Kula Segaran told reporters at his office here on Thursday morning.

Indira Gandhi, whose ex-husband Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah had reportedly taken away her daughter, Prasana Diksa, and converted the child and their two other children to Islam without her knowledge, had sought the mandamus order following Khalid’s insistence on taking the middle path in cases where disputing parties had obtained separate orders from the civil and Syariah courts.

In 2009, Mohd Ridzuan, formerly known as K. Patmanathan, obtained custody of then 11-month-old Prasana Diksa and her elder siblings, Tevi Darsiny and Karan Dinish, from the Syariah High Court.

The High Court here later granted Indira Gandhi custody of the children and, in March 2010, ordered Mohd Ridzuan to return Prasana Diksa to the mother.

On May 30, the High Court here issued a warrant of arrest against Mohd Ridzuan for contempt of court after he repeatedly failed to hand over the child to the mother.