Child allegedly hidden overseas for 2 years ‘taught to hate’ mother, judge hears at father’s bail hearing

A Calgary boy allegedly abducted by his father and hidden overseas for two years was “taught to hate” his mother, a Calgary judge heard Friday.

Muhammad Rahman, 62, faces a charge of child abduction and was in court Friday afternoon before Justice Peter Barley as his lawyers asked the judge to release their client on bail. 

New details about the case were revealed during the Friday afternoon hearing including the fact that a letter found on Rahman’s computer suggests he owes the province $1.6 million for improper medical billings.

Prosecutor Colin Schulhauser told Barley that reunification between the boy, his mother and his siblings “has been quite difficult."

The mother “reports that [her son] has been completely alienated against her,” said Schulhauser. 

Rahman, who worked as a doctor in Calgary, is accused of taking his five-year-old son overseas on Dec. 3, 2023, cutting off all contact with his estranged wife, who is the boy’s mother, for two years until he was arrested in Mauritius in December 2025 thanks to an Interpol Red Alert.

The accused was extradited to Calgary last week to face his charge. 

Rahman owed money to province 

Schulhauser argued Rahman should not be released on bail, telling Barley the accused is a flight risk with no ties to Calgary other than his children and that “he seems to have significant wealth overseas.”

Court also heard that, when Rahman left the country, he owed Alberta Health Services $1.6 million in overpayment for non-compliant claims according to evidence presented at the bail hearing.

A 2021 letter, described as “a final notice of reassessment” from Alberta Health alerted Rahman of the money owed. 

Bought home in Turkey

Within a year, Schulhauser said Rahman began transferring funds to Turkey. Between June 2022 and July 2023, he had sent about $900,000 overseas, according to the Crown.

Schulhauser also said the Crown has evidence that Rahman purchased a home in Turkey in 2019. 

On Dec. 3, 2023, Rahman is accused of leaving Canada with his son. He had previously spoken about living in Turkey in retirement so that’s where police began their search. 

That country does not have an extradition treaty with Canada but they are part of the Hague Convention on child abduction. Canadian police contacted the Turkish authorities, who interviewed Rahman in September 2024. 

‘He said, she said’

Ten days later, Rahman left Turkey, Schulhauser told the court. 

From there, documents, including passports, gathered by police suggest the pair travelled to Russia, Azerbaijan and Vanuatu. 

Once Rahman was back in Canada in police custody, investigators discovered he had passports for Canada, Turkey, Pakistan and Vanuatu. Rahman is a citizen of all four countries. 

Rahman’s lawyer Lakhwinder Sandhu said the Crown’s case is weak and argued his client should be released on bail. 

Decision next week 

Sandhu told the judge his client was legally allowed to travel with the child. 

“At the end of the day this trial will be a he said, she said,” said Sandhu, who represents Rahman alongside Himmat Shergill.

Defence relied in part on a document that purported to be signed by the child’s mother, giving Rahman permission to travel with his son. 

“I have already gave my consent to my underage children ... to go abroad alone or with their father,” reads part of the letter.

But the prosecution urged caution in considering the letter's authenticity. Schulhauser pointed out it has no notary imprint and is not dated. 

“[The mother] has been adamant that she never authorized or consented to [the boy] being taken from Canada to any other country,” said Schulhauser.

Barley will deliver his decision next week.