An Indian reporter and another scribe of&nbsp;Indian origin employed with AFP news agency were on Friday arrested in Maldives, ANI quoted sources as saying. 
 
The reporters, identified as Money Sharma from Punjab&#39;s Amritsar and Atish Ravji Patel from London, have been arrested for &quot;national security purposes&quot;, ANI reported.

India&#39;s external affairs ministry confirmed that it had received information about an Indian national, Money Sharma, working as a journalist, who has been detained.

&quot;Received information about an Indian national, Money Sharma, working as a journalist, who has been detained by the Maldivian authorities. We have asked our Embassy to get in touch &nbsp;with the local authorities to ascertain more details of the case,&quot; the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

&quot;We don&#39;t have freedom of press anymore. Last night one of the leading TV stations was closed. We call for their immediate release and restoration of democracy and rule of law,&quot; Ali Zahir, Member of Parliament, Maldives said about the arrest of the two reporters.

The Maldives government has put a clampdown on dissent sparking international concern.

Raajje TV, a pro-opposition television network in the island nation, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/raajje-tv-suspends-operations-in-maldives-due-to-attacks-on-free-media-32262">also shut down </a>on Friday following threats to its staff.

Raajje TV said threats to its employees over their reporting on the political crisis in the Maldives had forced it to suspend broadcasts.

&quot;The broadcaster received threats from government legislators and others,&quot; said opposition lawmaker Eva Abdulla.

The Maldives was plunged into crisis this week when President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency and ordered the arrest of judges who had ordered the release of his political opponents.

(With inputs from agencies)

India's external affairs ministry confirmed that it had received information about an Indian national, Money Sharma, working as a journalist, who has been detained

An Indian reporter and another scribe of Indian origin employed with AFP news agency were on Friday arrested in Maldives, ANI quoted sources as saying. The reporters, identified as Money Sharma from Punjab's Amritsar and Atish Ravji Patel from London, have been arrested for "national security purposes", ANI reported. India's external affairs ministry confirmed that it had received information about an Indian national, Money Sharma, working as a journalist, who has been detained. "Received information about an Indian national, Money Sharma, working as a journalist, who has been detained by the Maldivian authorities. We have asked our Embassy to get in touch with the local authorities to ascertain more details of the case," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. "We don't have freedom of press anymore. Last night one of the leading TV stations was closed. We call for their immediate release and restoration of democracy and rule of law," Ali Zahir, Member of Parliament, Maldives said about the arrest of the two reporters. The Maldives government has put a clampdown on dissent sparking international concern. Raajje TV, a pro-opposition television network in the island nation, also shut down on Friday following threats to its staff. Raajje TV said threats to its employees over their reporting on the political crisis in the Maldives had forced it to suspend broadcasts. "The broadcaster received threats from government legislators and others," said opposition lawmaker Eva Abdulla. The Maldives was plunged into crisis this week when President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency and ordered the arrest of judges who had ordered the release of his political opponents. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian among 2 reporters arrested in Maldives: Sources

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Indian among 2 reporters arrested in Maldives: Sources