Maldives former VP Ahmed Adeeb arrested for illegally entering India

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that former vice-president of Maldives, Ahmed Adeeb, was detained for entering India illegally and without carrying valid documents.

"There are designated entry points through which foreigners are allowed entry into India. The entry is facilitated on the basis of appropriate valid travel documents. In the instant case, since he was not entering India through a designated entry point and did not possess the valid document, he has not been permitted entry into India," Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a query on Adeeb not permitted entry into India.

Adeeb, who had rebelled against the then president of the island nation in 2015, Abdulla Yameen, and was followingly sacked, has been detained in Tamil Nadu.

Tuticorin Port Authority on Thursday said he has been detained but officials are yet to confirm whether Adeeb was trying to seek asylum in India.

Adeeb was detained after he reached the Indian shores illegally, officials said. He reached Thoothukudi on a barge named 'Virgo 9'.

During his weekly briefing earlier in the day, Kumar said that the veracity of reports of Adeeb's detention is being ascertained.

"We are trying to ascertain the veracity of the reports (of Adeeb's detention). We will contact their government and find out if these reports are true," he told the reporters.

Adeeb, 37, was Vice President of Maldives in 2015. He had rebelled against erstwhile president Yameen and was removed from the post.

According to Maldives Independent, Adeeb was freed from house arrest two weeks ago after he had served a 15-day contempt of court sentence. The sentence was completed after he returned to the Maldives from medical leave in India in early July.

Earlier he had served a three years prison term on terrorism and corruption charges. The appeals court later wiped out Adeeb's 33-year jail sentence on terrorism and corruption charges, citing political influence over his trials, Maldives Independent stated.

But the Supreme Court imposed a travel ban on Adeeb in late June. His passport was also withheld.