Former Maldives vice president Ahmed Adheeb, who sought asylum, sent back

Former Vice President of Maldives Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor, who had sought political asylum arrived in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin on a cargo vessel without any valid documents on Thursday, was sent back to the archipelago in the Indian Ocean by the Coast Guard, the Tamil Nadu police said.

Adheeb had arrived in India on Thursday on a cargo vessel along with nine crew members. However, he was not allowed as he did not possess valid documents.

According to news agency PTI, citing a top district police official, Ghafoor was not allowed to deboard the vessel he used to enter the country since there was no information about him coming to India.

The former Maldives vice president is facing multiple cases of terror and money laundering back home. Reacting to Adheeb's illegal entry in the country, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said they were trying to ascertain the veracity of the reports.

 “We are trying to ascertain the veracity of the reports. We will contact their government and find out if these reports are true,” Kumar said.