New Delhi\Male:
As the political crisis in Maldives deepens, India is readying to evacuate its citizens from the trouble-hit archipelago.
The Indian Air Force has kept three IL-76 transport planes ready to bring back Indian nationals stuck there. The aircraft has a capacity to carry 275 people. The arrangement is in addition to the Naval assets that are on stand-by.
The fresh concerns come on the back of an escalation in the crisis in Maldives with the criminal court today ordering the arrest of former president Mohamed Nasheed.
Supporters of Mr Nasheed immediately surrounded his house to prevent an arrest. The ousted president's close aide told NDTV, "We expect the police to try and arrest him late tonight, maybe even after midnight."
(Top 10 developments on the Maldives crisis)Mr Nasheed's camp had yesterday said that India had been asked to intervene militarily in the island nation. Speaking to NDTV, Paul Roberts, the former advisor to Mr Nasheed, said, "India needs to get off the fence...India needs to decide who it supports."
(Read: 'India was asked to intervene')Even as New Delhi has, so far, refrained from intervening in the situation in Maldives, sources say that a formal plan is ready, if the need arises.
(Watch: Should India step in) This is significant given the fact that India has invested a fair amount of political capital in the island nation. It is also wary of Chinese influence on the islands as also a fear of Islamic resurgence there, especially with information, sources say, of presence of Pakistan's terror network.