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AFTER close to two decades of separation, M. Indira Gandhi is clinging to the possibility of seeing her daughter, Prasana Diksa, for the first time since she was an infant, as court proceedings resume in Ipoh.
Indira, 51, said she is hopeful that police may produce Prasana at the High Court, where authorities are scheduled to provide an update on efforts to locate the teenager and her father, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
“We are so excited that we might see Prasana... we are crossing our fingers.
“We are putting all our 100 per cent hope that the police will bring Prasana, even just a few minutes, for us to see her, to exchange a few words [with] her, even her two siblings are very much anticipating this date,” Malay Mail reported her saying today.
The urgency of the moment is heightened by Prasana’s impending 18th birthday on April 8, after which she will legally be an adult, potentially ending the authorities’ obligation to locate and return her.
Despite this, Indira remains resolute.
“But no matter what, even [when] she turns 18 … I don’t want to stop until the day that I will see Prasana,” she said.
“I’m not going to stop searching for Prasana no matter what because she’s still my biological daughter, and I think I have all the rights to see her.”
While acknowledging her daughter’s right to make her own decisions as an adult, Indira said her only wish is to meet her again.
“Whether she wants to stay with me, or she wants to stay with her father, it’s not an issue now. Just to see her is the most important thing.”
Prasana was taken at the age of 11 months by Indira’s former husband, K. Pathmanathan, who later converted to Islam and unilaterally converted their three children without Indira’s consent. He subsequently obtained custody through the Syariah courts.
However, the civil courts later awarded custody to Indira and ordered the police to locate and arrest Pathmanathan for failing to return the child.
The Federal Court of Malaysia ultimately ruled that the unilateral conversion of the children was unlawful and affirmed that civil courts retain jurisdiction over custody in such cases.
Indira stressed that her fight has never been about religion, but about family.
“Yes exactly, because I have never raised this as a religious issue, and all I ask the public is if they know any details, please share with us, that I can meet my daughter, that’s all. It’s never been a religious issue.”
She believes Prasana may have been raised as a Muslim but said her concern has always centred on her daughter’s welfare rather than her beliefs.
“And I don’t know why he keeps hiding, what is the purpose of keep hiding with the child.
“We just want to see her, we are not going to ask her to convert or anything, now she’s already a big girl. Let her decide what she wants to be, that is her personal view.”
Indira also voiced frustration over the lack of progress in the case.
“So the father has no right to keep her, hiding from her mother and her siblings, and the police are not doing their job since day one.
“That is what we keep asking, she was a breast-fed child, until now she’s a grown woman and we don’t know anything about what is happening to her.”
With only a handful of belongings left from Prasana’s infancy — including a teddy bear, baby clothes and a few photographs — Indira said she can scarcely imagine what her daughter looks like today.
“So, I can’t even imagine and think how she looks like now, could she be like her eldest sister or could she be like her brother? I don’t know. So, all we wish is to see her first, then get to know her, then get familiar with her lifestyle. That’s what we want at the moment.”
The last time she saw her daughter in person was when the child was about one and a half years old during a court appearance.
Over the years, the family has continued to mark Prasana’s birthday and think of her during festivals and everyday moments.
“It is so sad we couldn’t celebrate with the actual person, but I always offer at the temple for her – I do prayers under her name that she’s well and healthy, and she has good education – and that’s about it lah, that’s how we celebrate her birthday.”
“Even Raya, we will be thinking Prasana might be celebrating Raya this year, we don’t know with who or what type of baju she might be wearing. It’s very saddening to know that your child is alive, but you don’t know anything about her.”
“We always talk about Prasana, as if she is with us also.”
“You know, like normal life, if Prasana would have been here, we could take her [to the] cinema, I mean a simple daily life.”
“So, coping with this life is not easy, but we have tons of hope that one day we will see her lah.”
In a message directed to her daughter, Indira reaffirmed her enduring hope.
“My message to Prasana is, I’ll always – not only me – my other two children, her siblings always keep her in our mind.
“We always love her, no matter what, we will not stop looking for her, no matter how many more years it takes… until we meet her… .”
She added that the family would be patient and allow Prasana space should they meet again.
“We will give her time, we will definitely work with her, we will definitely give her the peace to get to know us. I mean, I’m not going to rush her into anything. So let her know that she has a mother and her biological siblings, so we will give her the time to get to know us.”
If reunited, Indira said there would be no expectations, only acceptance.
“So, I’m not going to judge her, I’m not going to expect anything from her, so let her be her when she comes.” - April 6, 2026
