NEW DELHI: The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi has granted default bail to US national Matthew Aaron VanDyke in a case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).The court granted bail to VanDyke on a personal bond of Rs one lakh and one surety of the like amount, and directed him to stay in Delhi. It also directed him to remain available for investigation whenever called by the Investigation Officer.The court observed that the six Ukrainian nationals accused in the case also have a right to bail if they file bail applications.The NIA has filed a charge sheet against all seven foreigners without invoking sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).VanDyke and Ukrainian nationals Kaminskyi Viktor, Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian and Honcharuk Maksim were arrested in March for allegedly travelling to Mizoram without the required permits and crossing into Myanmar.An FIR was registered against them. The NIA has said that its investigation into the matter is ongoing and that it may file a supplementary charge sheet if an offence under the UAPA is established, the agency’s Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) told the court, as cited by ANI.The agency has invoked Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act against the accused. Counsel for the accused had submitted that these are compoundable offences at the level of the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).The court has listed the charge sheet for consideration on October 1. The accused were arrested in a case concerning the alleged training of ethnic armed groups in Myanmar that were inimical to India’s national security and remained in custody for around 180 days after their arrest in May 2026.
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In its charge sheet, the NIA accused the seven of offences under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act and said, “more time is required to ascertain and verify the true and complete facts about the commission of offences under UAPA.”Following their arrest, the NIA had told the court that the accused were being investigated as part of a wider terror conspiracy, including allegedly assisting ethnic armed groups in India and Myanmar and imparting drone training to them.
