Malaysian High Court allows Hindu mother to keep her children

IPOH - Kindergarten Malaysian Indian teacher M. Indira Gandhi, who is embroiled in a bitter custody battle with her Muslim convert husband, got a brief relief when a High Court ruled against her husband to obtain the custody of their three children.

Judge Wan Afrah Wan Ibrahim decided that there were no special circumstances, which warranted a stay of the custody order of children in favour of Indira Gandhi.

“If the father (Ridzuan) is dissatisfied, he has to appeal to the Court of Appeal,” The Star Online quoted Indira’s lawyer M. Kulasegaran, as saying.

Last Month, Wan Afrah had ruled that Indira was not a Muslim and, therefore, was not bound by the Syariah Court’s decision to grant the custody of children to her estranged husband, Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah.

The judge also ruled that it was in the children’s best interest to stay with their mother, especially since the youngest child was below seven and the older ones were under 21.

She decided that the custody of the couple’s three children, Tevi Darsiny, 13, Karan Dinish, 12, and Prasana Diksa, 23-month-old, be given to their mother.

Of the three children, only Prasana is still living with her father after he took her away last April.

“I hope he (Ridzuan) abides by the decision and surrenders Prasana to me. Her birthday is coming up on April 8. She will be two. I want to hold her and shower her with kisses,” Indira said.

Kulasegaran said Ridzuan must return the child to Indira even if he wants to appeal against the stay decision.

“If he fails to do so we will initiate contempt proceedings and he will face the prospect of a jail term,” he said. (ANI)