DEEPAVALI celebrations will never be complete for M. Indira Gandhi without her missing daughter Prasana Diksa, who is now 13.

The former kindergarten teacher told The Malaysian Insight she has not celebrated the Hindu Festival of Lights since her child was taken from her.

She is still waiting for justice: for her Muslim convert ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, who took Prasana away when she was a baby, to be located and the girl to be returned to her as ordered by th court.

“We won’t have any celebrations until Prasana is returned. For the past 13 years, we haven’t had any celebrations at home,” Indira said.

Indira was granted custody of Prasana, whose unilateral conversion to Islam by Riduan has been nullified by the court.

Riduan is now a fugitive for violating the Ipoh High Court’s order in 2014 to return Prasana, leading to a mandamus order by the court compelling the inspector-general of police (IGP) to arrest him.

The quashing of the unilateral conversions of Indira’s children – Prasana and two older siblings – went all the way to the Federal Court. The apex court in January 2018 upheld the nullification of the religious conversions by only one parent and affirmed custody to the mother.

Indira is now suing former IGP Abdul Hamid Bador for RM100 million for failing to locate her daughter.

Hamid, who was IGP from May 2019 until his retirement in May this year, said several times that he, too, wanted justice for Indira and police were working hard to find Riduan and Prasana, whom some suspect are in southern Thailand.

Hamid, however, had also admitted knowing Riduan’s whereabouts and was working through an intermediary, but that extraditing him was complicated.

This led to Indira filing a suit against Hamid in October last year, alleging that the then IGP had deliberately and negligently disregarded a mandamus order issued by the Federal Court, by failing to investigate or take appropriate action to return Prasana.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has set December 15 and 16 to hear the suit against the IGP and the government.

Indira’s lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said the court has also set November 15 for parties to submit documents on the trial.

The 46-year-old mother said her wish is the same for every Deepavali – that Prasana will be back for the celebration.

“We really hope that with the new government and new prime minister (Ismail Sabri Yaakob), my plight as a mother can be resolved and Prasana can return home.”

Indira Gandhi Action Team (Ingat) chairman Arun Doraisamy said they have set up a meeting with Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said, who has been appointed the special adviser on law and human rights to Ismail.

Arun said they will be presenting a memorandum to Azalina on November 12, seeking her help to ask the prime minister to set up a special team.

“We hope she can ask the prime minister to set up a special task force comprising former judges, the IGP and Home Ministry officials to locate Prasana.

“We have to find closure to this matter. We sincerely hope the government will help Indira and Ingat until Prasana is found.” – November 5, 2021.