IGP directs cops to arrest dad in custody dispute
Malaysiakini – 27 minutes ago
Inspector-general of police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar has directed the Perak police to act on the Ipoh High Court order to arrest K Pathmanathan @ Muhd Ridhuan Abdullah, and return six-year-old Prasana Diksa to her mother.
According to several Chinese press reports, Perak police chief Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the IGP has instructed the Perak police to act on the court order and return the child to the mother, kindergarten teacher M Indira Gandhi.
Acryl told Malaysiakini that police are trying to find the husband and the child.
He denied that the husband had been arrested.
To questions on whether the police had obtained the IGP's directive, Acryl said, "Yes, we are following the required regulations."
The order was served on the IGP last Wednesday, and the Ipoh police on Friday, with police having less than 20 days to react to the court order.
Ipoh High Court Justice Lee Swee Seng had on June 11 ordered the police to arrest Ridhuan and bring back Prasana Diksa, who was converted by the father to Islam.
The couple have two other children, a son and daughter who are teenagers.
The husband is said to be in Kota Baru, as a copy of the court order had also been served on the Kelantan police.
However, this was not previously acted on by Khalid ( left ), who had said police will take the middle ground in such child custody cases involving differing decisions by the Syariah and civil courts.
Last month, Justice Lee had ruled that the civil court is superior to the Syariah court.
She ordered Ridhuan to return the child within seven days of the court order and found him guilty of contempt, resulting in the warrant of arrest being issued.
Justice Lee had last year also ruled that a conversion by a single parent on a child is unlawful and against international norms.
It was reported that Ridhuan converted to Islam in 2009, and unilaterally converted their three children and took Prasana Diksa away.
When contacted by Malaysiakini, Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran said he was not aware of the IGP's order but hoped that Ridhuan would be arrested soon.
