India Friday sent its special envoy to Maldives to assess the situation over there, two days after the Indian Ocean nation plunged into crisis after former President Mohamed Nasheed said he was ousted in a coup.

"I have sent an envoy to Maldives to assess the situation," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the media.

M. Ganapathi, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry is the Indian special envoy who left for Maldivian capital Male Friday afternoon.

Hoping that the crisis could be resolved through peaceful dialogue, the Prime Minister said, "it will be our effort to use our influence in that direction."

Maldives is in political crisis after former President Nasheed claimed he was forced to resign at gunpoint on Wednesday in a plot masterminded by his former Vice President and a group of top military and police officials.

A Maldivian court Thursday issued an arrest warrant for Nasheed, a day after his supporters went on a rampage in Male.

M. Ganapathi will hold consultations with a wide range of stakeholders in the Maldives in an attempt to bring all players to the negotiating table and sort out outstanding issues, said local daily The Hindu.

India feels ousted Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed's " defiant mood" and street protests by his Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) was an "unexpected move away from the resolution of issues," said the report.

Nasheed has called on international community to help his country restore democracy while alleging he had been forced to resign "almost at gunpoint" and circulating videos of "police brutality" against his Maldives Democratic Party protesters in Male.

India is in touch with all people concern, said Indian diplomats based in Male after Indian High Commissioner Dnyaneshwar Mulay met with both Nasheed and new President Waheed to counsel restraint by their party cadres, according to the report.

The third person, who would have a bearing on the situation, former President Abdul Gayoom, is said to be in Malaysia and is reported to be unwilling to return immediately.

India has also reportedly asked the new government in Maldives not to harm Nasheed and take steps to ensure his safety in the wake of an arrest warrant being put out for him.

Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon has held meetings in the national capital on the Maldives' crisis, The Times of India newspaper reported.

First, India is to impress upon the new government that former President Nasheed should not be targeted, harmed or imprisoned. Secondly, the transition to the new government will be as peaceful as possible. Thirdly, the new government should ensure continuity rather than sweeping changes and lastly, the new government should honor all its agreements, according to the newspaper.

India is also preparing for a worse-case scenario of increased instability in the country -- one warship and two naval patrol vessels are on standby, though they haven't yet been diverted to the Maldives, according to the newspaper.

A couple of patrol vessels which are in the area for anti- piracy missions have been put on alert and if things worsen substantially there over the next few days, India would be ready to evacuate its people from there, the report said.