POLICE believe that Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, the wanted ex-husband of M. Indira Gandhi, is no longer in Malaysia, the Home Ministry told Dewan Rakyat today.

In a parliamentary reply, the ministry said he is most likely on the move outside the country to evade arrest for defying a court order to return their youngest child to Indira Gandhi following a dispute over his unilateral conversation of the child to Islam.

“For now, based on investigations by the police, Muhammad Riduan is not in Malaysia and is not in any fixed placed abroad but is moving from one place to another in a bid to avoid detection. This is making it difficult for the authorities’ investigation.”

The reply was in response to a question by Tan Yee Kew (Wangsa Maju-PH), who asked the ministry to explain why the police had failed to locate Riduan.

Riduan took his youngest child, Prasana Diksa, in 2009 over a dispute with Indira Gandhi after his conversion to Islam and his move to convert their three children without her consent.

The child, who was 11-months-old then, has not been seen since.

Riduan was ordered by the Ipoh High Court in March 2010 to return Prasana Diksa to Indira Gandhi, who was awarded custody of all three children.

Since then, police have been looking for Riduan, whose name was Patmanathan Krishnan before his conversion to Islam.

“Police have listed him as a wanted person. There is also a special directive to monitor his movements in and out of the country.

“His name has also been blacklisted by the Immigration Department,” said the Home Ministry.

The Court of Appeal and the Federal Court have upheld Indira Gandhi’s bid to quash the unilateral conversion of her three children.

The Federal Court has also reinstated a mandamus order originally issued by the Ipoh High Court compelling the police to arrest Riduan. – August 12, 2020.