IPOH: The High Court here has ordered the police to broaden their search beyond Kelantan for kindergarten teacher M. Indira Gandhi’s ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, and to intensify efforts to locate her missing daughter Prasana Diksa.
Justice Datuk Norsharidah Awang said on Friday (Nov 21) that the search should not be limited to Kelantan, but should also include states like Kedah and Perak.
Earlier, Asst Supt Yap Siew Cheng, 44, from the Perak Police Headquarters’ Criminal Investigation Department, presented an affidavit on the filing for judicial monitoring of the recovery efforts.
Indira’s lawyer N. Rajesh had asked ASP Yap why the police search remained focused on Kelantan, to which she said checks were centred there because Riduan’s second wife is from the state.
During Friday’s proceedings, Indira was represented by lawyers Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh Sohanpal, while Federal Counsel Abdul Hakim Ab Keram @ Ab Karim represented the police.
Rajesh pointed out that Riduan, formerly known as K. Pathmanathan, appeared to have used the RM100 Sara aid and Budi95 targeted fuel subsidy.
He also asked about the basis for the police to believe earlier that Riduan was not in the country.
Rajesh pointed out that Riduan is a wanted person and should have been blacklisted from leaving the country by the Immigration Department.
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ASP Yap responded that checks on this were still being carried out.
She also said police had applied for the travel blacklist through its channels and confirmed that Riduan's "wanted" status still applied.
Asked if the police had identified the petrol stations where Riduan had reportedly claimed the Budi95 subsidy about a month ago, she said the investigation was ongoing.
Justice Norsharidah said it was a simple matter and that the authorities should be able to determine where Riduan had refuelled and used his bank card.
"The case has been ongoing for many years, and there needs to be more proactive updates," she said.
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"Future affidavits should not repeatedly focus only on Kelantan, but widen the scope to states such as Kedah and Perak," she said, while calling for closer coordination with Immigration and to use the new evidence to block all entry and exit points in the country to trace Riduan.
The court then set Feb 27 as the next hearing date.
In 2009, Riduan unilaterally converted his three children to Islam and obtained custody from the Syariah Court.
In 2010, the Ipoh High Court granted full custody of Prasana Diksa to Indira Gandhi, and in 2016, the Federal Court affirmed a High Court mandamus order to apprehend Riduan and return the girl to her mother.
The apex court ruled in 2018 that the unilateral conversion was null and void.
Prasana was 11 months old when she was separated from her mother and is 17 this year.
