A United States citizen, arrested by the National Investigation Agency in March for alleged links with ethnic armed groups hostile to India in Myanmar, has been granted default bail. The accused, Matthew Aaron Van Dyke, was arrested along with six Ukrainians.
On Friday, a Delhi court granted default bail to Matthew Aaron Van Dyke, a United States citizen who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in March for allegedly having links to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar that are hostile to India. Default bail is granted when an investigating agency fails to complete its probe and file a chargesheet within the statutory period while an accused is in custody.
According to PTI, Van Dyke was arrested on March 13, along with six Ukrainians. They were allegedly involved in supplying weapons and military equipment to ethnic armed groups operating in Myanmar, as well as providing them with training.
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. Although they had been arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the agency had only accused them of immigration violations in the chargesheet.
Investigators alleged that the individuals had entered India on valid visas, but later travelled 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.
They were reportedly arrested in Delhi, Kolkata, and Lucknow while trying to leave India.
Source:
Scroll.in
