FOLLOWERS of controversial preacher Zakir Naik were named in a police report as one of the parties who could be helping to hide a young girl from her non-Muslim mother and the police.

Former kindergarten teacher M. Indira Gandhi also named Southern Thai separatists and PAS-aligned groups in Kelantan and Terengganu as the others suspected of helping her ex-husband, Muhammad Riduan Abdullah to keep the 11-year-old Prasana Diksa hidden.

Indira filed the report at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters today.

The Indira Gandhi Action Team (Ingat), which has taken up Indira’s case, said the information in the police report is based on public tip-offs.

“Somebody is helping them (Riduan and Prasana) not to be found,” said Ingat chairman Arun Dorasamy at the Malaysian Hindu Sangam office in Petaling Jaya today.

“We cannot confirm the involvement of these groups, that is why we want the police to verify this.”

Indira last year won a 10-year legal battle to gain custody of Prasana and to have the unilateral conversions of her three children to Islam by Riduan nullified.

She is now seeking verifiable information on Riduan, who kidnapped their youngest child, Prasana, when she was a baby in March 2009.

Arun said the groups had been providing unemployed Riduan with financial assistance and logistics (to move the children around).

He also said the Thai separatists has been helping them move between Golok and Kelantan, despite Riduan not having a passport.

“His last sighting was a year ago in the Golok border region.

“People have sighted him, but they are reluctant to give (confirm) their identity.

“We presented all information we received to former inspector-general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun during a meeting at Bukit Aman on April 19.”

Arun also claimed that Riduan had married again in 2009 and his 27-year -old wife had three children.

“She must know the whereabouts of Prasana. We urge authorities to investigate her on suspicion of abetting Riduan.

“We hope that the public can assist us in finding her (the wife).”

A teary Indira said that she had been waiting for 10 years to be reunited with Prasana.

“All I want is to see her (Prasana) again. I still very confused that we have yet to get any information on her.

“As a mother I’m sad and hurt. I hope all Malaysians can help find her,” she said.

Arun hoped Inspector General of Police Hamid Bador would check with the special task force on their progress in finding Riduan.

“We know the quality of our police (they are very diligent). They have so many resources, but why can’t they find him?” he asked.

In 2014, Riduan was ordered by Ipoh High Court to return Prasana but failed to do so, leading to a mandamus order by the court compelling the inspector-general of police to arrest him.

The ruling was challenged by the government in the Court of Appeal but then restored by the Federal Court in 2016.

In January last year, the civil Federal Court in a landmark decision nullified the conversion of Indira’s children to Islam by her ex-husband, and also declared unilateral conversions of children by one parent to be unlawful.

Following the Federal Court’s decision, Fuzi asked the public for help to provide information to locate Riduan and Prasana. – July 25, 2019.