A PIVOTAL ruling is expected from the Ipoh High Court as M. Indira Gandhi seeks permission to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the country’s top police official, in a case that has spanned nearly two decades.
At the heart of the legal challenge is the alleged failure of authorities to enforce a 2014 court order to locate her daughter, Prasana Diksa, who was taken as a baby by her father during a marital breakdown in 2009.
Indira, now 51, said her pursuit of justice has never been about punishing the police, but about being reunited with her child.
“I don’t know how it’s going to turn out and I always cross my fingers that justice always prevails,” she said ahead of the ruling.
“It’s not that we want to blame the police, but if they could do their job better and if they have at least found out something, it would have been more encouraging for me.
“But then, we don’t see the police are doing their work, that is what disappoints us. Malaysia’s police are a very fantastic force, they could find any criminals, within hours also they can do.
“But why is the silence in this case and that 17 years — it’s like [it] fell into a deaf ear. So that is really disappointing us,” Malay Mail quoted her saying.
This marks her second attempt to cite the Inspector-General of Police for contempt, with her latest application filed in November last year and argued in court in February.
Her lawyer, Rajesh Nagarajan, said the application centres on what he described as a sustained failure to act despite clear judicial orders.
“What is new now is: i) the prolonged failure to act despite a valid court order; ii) information suggesting that Pathmanathan is openly accessing government aid (Budi95, Sara 100).
“This raises serious concerns that: his whereabouts are traceable, and the authorities have the means but have intentionally failed to act.”
He added that the legal move is intended to intensify pressure on enforcement agencies.
“It is another legal avenue to exert pressure on the authorities to secure Prasana’s recovery.
“A successful contempt application would: i) increase pressure on the authorities, and ii) potentially compel focused efforts to recover the child,” he said.
The case has come to symbolise broader concerns about enforcement of court orders and institutional accountability in Malaysia.
Indira’s former husband, K. Pathmanathan, is alleged to have taken their youngest child when she was less than a year old, and has since evaded authorities.
Despite multiple court victories, including at the highest level, the child’s whereabouts remain unknown.
“I think half of my life I have spent in all the courts,” Indira said, reflecting on years of legal proceedings across Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
Her struggle has also been marked by personal sacrifice. As a single mother, she balanced raising two children with constant travel for court hearings, often relying on public transport and modest means.
“It was not easy at all, I mean, as a single mother providing for the other older children, and then most of the time I use public transport — either I go by train or by bus,” she said.
“Usually, I will travel one day ahead because the proceedings are like 9 o’clock in the morning, so I have to be there by 8 o’clock. So if I take the 5.30am train, I’m scared I might miss, so I have to come a day earlier.”
Financial pressures forced her to leave her job as a kindergarten teacher, turning instead to tutoring and other work to maintain flexibility for court appearances.
“The main thing I resigned from being a kindergarten teacher is because of all this — because I couldn’t take frequent leave for my court proceedings. So, my only option is to be a freelancer, so I started being a tutor, because I can manage my timetable,” Indira said.
Public support and pro bono legal representation have sustained her efforts. She expressed gratitude to lawyers who have represented her without charge over the years.
“He has helped me in so many ways, not only for my case, even for my children’s education and financially also he has helped us.
“So, I’m really so grateful for what YB (referring to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran) has done, I think without him, we might not also have won the Federal Court cases,” she said, referring to a former lawyer who assisted her extensively.
Her current legal team continues to act without fees, with Rajesh noting the broader implications of the case.
“Our sole purpose has always been to reunite her with her child. This is not just a private dispute — it raises serious issues about enforcement of court orders and the rule of law,” he said.
The court is also monitoring ongoing police efforts, with a further update scheduled in June regarding attempts to locate Pathmanathan and execute an arrest warrant.
For Indira, however, the legal milestones remain secondary to a deeply personal goal that has defined nearly half her life: finding her daughter. - April 24, 2026
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