Maldives political crisis: Emergency declared, India ponders tough response

Late on Monday night, National Defence Force personnel 'broke into' the premises of the Supreme Court, arrested the chief justice

Four days after the Supreme Court of the Maldives called for the release of all political prisoners, the government of Abdulla Yameen announced a state of emergency in the country for 15 days, suspending the Supreme Court and arresting the chief justice, another top judge, the president’s estranged half-brother and former dictator, Maumoon Gayoom.

India, which has remained at loggerheads with President Yameen for most of the time he has been in power, is now believed to be examining the full range of options available to it – including ‘tough’ ones – so as to jolt the Yameen government and make