Manhunt for Muhammad Riduan continues: Police
IPOH: The police are still looking for Muhammad Riduan Abdullah for allegedly failing to hand over his youngest daughter to his former wife, M. Indira Gandhi.
Perak Criminal Investigation Department head SAC Yahya Abdul Rahman, in a statement, said the manhunt for the man had not ceased since a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Ipoh High Court on May 30, 2014.
He said efforts to find Muhammad Riduan remained futile although a media statement had been issued seeking public cooperation on his whereabouts, and for the man himself to contact the police.
"At the same time, police have also informed Indra Gandhi's lawyer on efforts made by the police to locate Muhammad Riduan and his daughter," he said.
As such, Yahya once again called for public cooperation for information on Muhammad Riduan or his whereabouts.
On Jan 29 this year, the Federal Court set aside the unilateral conversion of kindergarten teacher M. Indira Gandhi's three children to Islam.
The five-man bench chaired by Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin in a unanimous decision held that the conversion of non-Muslim children must get the consent of both parents.
Justice Tan Sri Zainun Ali who delivered the court's judgment noted that the certificate of conversion of Indira Gandhi's three children was issued without her consent and thus contravened the Federal Constitution and the Guardianship and Infants Act 1961.
The children, two girls and a boy, now aged 20, 19, and nine years old were converted to Islam by Muhammad Riduan (formerly known as K. Pathmanathan), 47, in April 2009 without Indira Gandhi's consent after his conversion to Islam.
The children were then aged 12 and 11 years, and 11 months. The youngest daughter is with Muhammad Riduan, while the two elder children are with their mother.
In 2010, the Ipoh High Court gave Indira full custody of the three children and ordered Muhammad Ridhuan to hand over Prasana Diksa, who is the youngest, to her mother.
In 2016, the federal court issued an order for the Inspector General of Police to arrest Riduan for defying the court order. — Bernama