PUTRAJAYA, April 29 — M. Indira Gandhi said today that she has finally received her due justice after the Federal Court ordered the police to arrest her ex-husband for contempt of court over his refusal to hand custody of their youngest child to her.

Indira was all smiles, wiping her tears away as she exited the Federal Court that had earlier today ordered Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar to track and arrest the Hindu mother’s ex-spouse Muhammad Riduan Abdullah.

“I’m truly very happy, finally my request has been listened...judgment has been delivered in a favour to me [sic], which I have been waiting for so long,” Indira said, choking back tears.

“It’s been seven years just to get a judgment to see my daughter, just to see my daughter I have to wait for seven years. Finally it’s like a dream come true. Hoping to get to see my daughter as soon as possible. I really can’t describe in words, but the choice of getting back my daughter...I’m truly happy,” she added.

The high-profile interfaith child custody case has led to public pressure on the government to amend laws to protect the rights of children who are converted to Islam with the consent of just one parent in custody tussles.

Although the Federal Court upheld today the mandamus order issued by the Ipoh High Court to the IGP to enforce the arrest warrant against Muhammad Ridhuan, the apex court did not rule on the High Court’s recovery order to retrieve the estranged couple’s eight-year-old daughter Prasana Diksa, in light of the opposing custody orders from the Shariah and civil courts.

The Shariah court in 2009 granted custody of the couple’s three children to the father after he converted to Islam, but the Ipoh High Court gave custody to the mother in 2010.

The Federal Court decision today was on Indira’s appeal to the 2014 Court of Appeal decision that had dismissed the Ipoh High Court’s mandamus order to the IGP to enforce the arrest warrant against Muhammad Riduan and the recovery order to retrieve Prasana.

Indira was represented by M. Kulasegaran, who is also Ipoh Barat MP, Aston Paiva and N.Selvam, while the IGP was represented by Senior Federal Counsel Suzana Atan.