Be more proactive’: Judge reprimands police over delay in locating Indira Gandhi’s ex-husband

IPOH, June 25 — The High Court has granted police an additional six months to track down Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, the ex-husband of M. Indira Gandhi.

Judge Datuk Norsharidah Awang has fixed November 27 for the next judicial monitoring session to review the progress of the arrest warrant against Riduan.

While acknowledging the heavy workload and challenges facing the force, Norsharidah warned that any new leads regarding Riduan’s whereabouts must be acted upon with urgency.

The judge's remarks followed a submission by Indira’s lawyer, Harsimran Kaur, who highlighted a glaring delay in police action. According to Harsimran, the police received critical information from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) on April 24, 2026, regarding the employers of Muhammad Riduan and his current wife, believed to be based in Kelantan.

Despite this lead, the police only moved to investigate on June 15—nearly two months later. Upon arriving at the address linked to the wife’s employer, officers found the premises locked and unoccupied.

“I am not questioning the efforts of the police, but I do not understand the delay. Why was action not taken immediately?” Harsimran asked. She further noted that while the EPF provided the employers' addresses, it failed to specify when the relevant withdrawals had been made.

Norsharidah subsequently reminded investigating officer Assistant Superintendent Yap Siew Cheng of the Perak police contingent’s Criminal Investigation Department, and Federal Counsel Safiyyah Omar, that time is of the essence.

“Once you receive the information, action must be taken quickly. Sometimes, if you wait too long, the person may no longer be there,” the judge said. “In this case, two months later, you were informed that the person had disappeared and was no longer at the location. You need to be more proactive.”

While the judge maintained that she does not need to "teach the police how to make an arrest," she said that the hunt for Riduan is a strategic matter that requires a more aggressive approach.