IPOH, September 11 — Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador today said that the extradition operation to bring back M. Indira Gandhi’s daughter, Prasana Diksa, and her ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah to Malaysia will be complicated and time-consuming. 

He said police are still holding on to the negotiation process via an intermediary to bring back Muhamad Riduan, who forcefully took Prasana and fled to a different country. 

"We have problems and limitations to bring back Muhamad Riduan forcefully from a different country. I can’t take action outside the law. Also, he is not a hardcore criminal. 

"Therefore in order to solve the issue amicably, we formed a special team secretly, which is being led by a high ranking officer, to negotiate and persuade him to come back even though we could not meet him face to face. We were communicating via an intermediary,” he told a press conference at the Police Air Force Team Training Base (PLPGU) here. 

Abdul Hamid revealed that the negotiations were taking place since last year.

"At one time the negotiation was very positive, but somehow rather, due to some news which came out in the papers that have nasty comments about the case...it back offs,” he said. 

"That’s why I have said in the very beginning please allow us to do our job. I promise that we will do the job diligently and not just mere talking,” he added. 

He also said that relevant officers who are involved in solving the case, including Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Huzir Mohamed, have met with Indira and three other persons last week after he was not able to attend the meeting. 

"The officers have provided the facts on the actions taken by the police in the case and it is proven that we didn’t keep ourselves silent in this issue. 

"As I stressed since the beginning, this issue is very sensitive. That’s why we have been taking action below the radar. We don’t any political elements to be a presence in this case,” he said. 

Abdul Hamid also said that he will take necessary actions as he understands the psychology burden faced by Indira as well as her ex-husband and children.

"I will try to bring them back and solve this issue. We will follow the order issued by the court. I will not give up. That’s my assurance,” he added.

Last Thursday, Indira, 45, was accompanied by lawyer and activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and Indira Gandhi Action Team (Ingat) chairman Arun Dorasamy to a meeting with the police. 

However, Indira was unable to meet Abdul Hamid as he had to attend another meeting in Putrajaya.

Arun today told Malay Mail that Ingat insists on meeting the IGP and added a letter already been sent to the latter’s office on the matter. 

"We hope we could meet him by end of this month,” he said. 

Indira’s daughter, Prasana Diksa, was taken by her ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, known as K. Pathmanathan before he converted to Islam in 2009 when she was just 11 months old.

He had also converted their three children to Islam without Indira’s knowledge.

After a protracted court battle that spanned years, the Federal Court ruled in January 2018 that the unilateral conversions of Indira’s children were unlawful.

Their two elder children, Tevi Darsiny, now 22, and Karan Dinish, now 21, have stayed with Indira.

Despite the ruling, the police have yet to recover Prasana and return her to Indira.