The Delhi court has granted an extension till February for seven foreign citizens, including a US citizen Matthew VanDyke and six Ukrainians, to stay abroad while the investigation into their alleged involvement in arms training is ongoing.
On Friday, the Delhi court granted an extension till February for United States citizen Matthew VanDyke and six Ukrainians to stay abroad while the investigation in an arms training case was pending. The Hindustan Times reported that this decision was made after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) stated it needed more time to investigate the case.
According to The New Indian Express, on September 24, VanDyke and the Ukrainians were allowed by the court to travel to their home countries for a month on the condition that they would rejoin the investigation. They had been directed to return to India after one month and inform the court of their return within 72 hours.
However, only VanDyke returned to India for the court hearing on Friday, while the six Ukrainians did not due to health issues. They appeared through video conferencing and were granted an extension to stay outside India. The Hindustan Times also reported that they cited health problems as the reason for their absence.
VanDyke leads Sons of Liberty International, a US-based organization that claims to provide security consulting, training, and weapons supplies "to vulnerable populations to enable them to defend themselves against terrorists and insurgents". On September 8, the NIA filed a chargesheet against the seven foreigners for illegally entering, staying, and moving in India under the 2025 Immigration and Foreigners Act.
According to reports, investigators alleged that they had entered India on valid visas but later traveled to Mizoram without the mandatory restricted area permit. They were also accused of entering Myanmar and meeting ethnic groups hostile to India. Officials alleged that the individuals received drone deliveries from Europe while in Mizoram.
Source:
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