'Baseless': India rejects reports of helping Rajapaksa flee; SLAF provided plane for Maldives escape

India has rejected the claims of New Delhi facilitating Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's travel to Maldives. The Indian High Commission in Colombo categorically denied these reports as baseless and speculative and said that India will continue to support the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realize their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means. Rajapaksa fled the country in dead of night along with his wife and two bodyguards on a Sri Lankan Air Force medium lift Russian AN-32 plane. In a brief statement, the Sri Lankan Air Force said that President was flown out to Maldives on government request as per the powers available to a President under the Constitution. Watch this report for full detail.