Cops take middle ground in child custody cases

KOTA KINABALU: The police are taking the middle ground in dealing with child custody cases involving different decisions made by the syariah and civil courts.

Inspector- General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said to ensure fairness to those involved, the police will place the children in child care centres and thus will not enforce the decisions of the two courts.

“In this way, their parents have the opportunity to visit them,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting with Sabah police senior officers and police chiefs in Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), here yesterday.

Khalid said this when commenting on two child custody cases in Perak and Negeri Sembilan recently.

“I have directed the district police chiefs (in the areas) to discuss with the relevant parties so that the children are placed in child care centres,” he added.

Last month, the Appeals Court dismissed an application by N Viran, a Muslim convert known as Izwan Abdullah, to set aside the Seremban High Court decision giving custody of his two children to their mother S Deepa, a Hindu.

In Ipoh, M Indira Gandhi got a court order earlier this year to cite her ex-husband Muhammad Ridzuan Abdullah for contempt of court after failing to hand over their youngest child, Prasana Diksa ( Umm Habibah), 6, in accordance with the High Court order on March 11, 2010.

In April 2009, the Kuala Lumpur Syariah High Court gave custody of their three children Abu Bakar ( Karan Dinish), Ummu Salamah ( Tevi Darsiny) and Prasana to Muslim convert Mohd Ridzuan ( K Patmanathan). — Bernama