A SENIOR police officer has been appointed to lead investigations into the case of M. Indira Gandhi, who has been looking for her youngest child for more than a decade.

Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said the officer has been assigned to track down and contact Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, who is Indira’s ex-husband.

“I would like to state that I do not take the case lightly because I am also a father so I really understand the feeling of losing a child,” he told Bernama after an Outstanding Service Award ceremony at the senior officers mess in Bukit Aman.

Hamid revealed recently his team received a lot of negative comments from social media users criticising police on the case.

“Do they think catching Riduan is like catching a chicken? We are catching a fugitive who is always on the run in a country.

“I cannot just enter the country and arrest him,” he said when asked to comment on the development of Indira’s case.

Hamid said his team was trying to get Riduan to have the self-confidence to come forward and surrender to help with investigations.

“What is he (Riduan) afraid of? He is not facing a death sentence. We hope he can be present in court for his daughter’s sake,” he said.

He said his team also received the help of a local politician and a religious officer to help track down Riduan.

“We want to resolve the case as soon as possible,” he said.

Yesterday, Bernama reported Riduan was believed to be not residing permanently at a place overseas.

Earlier, the media reported police were working on the appropriate approach in an effort to speed up the process of reuniting Indira with her youngest daughter, Prasana Diksa.

Currently Riduan’s whereabouts are still unknown. He disappeared with Prasana Diksa in 2011.

In January 2018, the Federal Court ruled that the conversion of three children of kindergarten teacher, Indira to Islam almost 10 years ago was null and void. – Bernama, August 18, 2020.