Hindu mum walks for 'justice' in KL in latest plea to find daughter

Then Il-month-old was converted to Islam and forcibly taken by woman's then hubby in 2009

- Muzliza Mustafa Malaysia Correspondent

Madam Indira Gandhi walked through the streets of Kuala Lumpur pushing a baby stroller that contained a teddy bear wrapped in a light blanket belonging to her missing daughter.

She intended to hand it to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohd Khalid Ismail on Nov 22 in a symbolic plea for help to find her daughter Prasana Diksa, who was forcibly taken 16 years ago during a religious conversion and custody dispute.

The case is one of Malaysia's most enduring and painful family conflicts. In 2009, Madam Indira, who is Hindu, saw her then husband, Mr Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, convert from Hinduism to Islam, change their children's religion without her consent, and vanish with their youngest child, 11-month-old Prasana.

In 2018, Malaysia's highest court ruled such unilateral conversions invalid and granted Madam Indira full custody of all three of her children with Mr Riduan. It also ordered the police to locate Mr Riduan and return Prasana to Madam Indira. Seven years on, the arrest warrant remains unexecuted, and the teenager has never been found.

The unresolved case has laid bare the unhappiness over what is seen as inaction by the police to enforce a court decision to return a child who was unilaterally converted.

Before her “March for Justice” event kicked off, Madam Indira, 50, paused and tried to steady her voice. The years had taken their toll.

“No mother should have to go through what I did,” she said.

“Today, she is 17. Even if she was in the crowd today, I would not recognise her.”

The 1.8km walk was organised by the Indira Gandhi Action Team, which is led by activist Arun Dorasamy. It started outside the Sogo shopping complex right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Madam Indira was joined by her two older children, Ms Tevi Darsiny, 27, and Mr Karan Dinish, 26, and they led supporters towards the federal police headquarters.