News Desk: A Delhi court on Friday extended permission for American national Matthew VanDyke and six Ukrainian citizens to remain outside India until February 24, 2027, in a case linked to alleged arms training provided to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar.
The decision came after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) told the court that it needed more time to investigate several aspects of the case. The seven individuals were arrested in March on allegations that they had trained armed groups in Myanmar.
VanDyke appeared before the court on Friday after returning to India from his home country. He had earlier been permitted to travel abroad for a month. The six Ukrainian nationals, however, have not returned to India so far.
In an earlier order last month, the court had directed VanDyke to appear before it within 72 hours of his return to India. The permission granted to all seven accused to travel to their respective countries was conditional on their cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
VanDyke, whose full name is Matthew Aaron VanDyke, has described himself as a veteran of the Libyan revolution and a former prisoner of war.
The case initially involved stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). However, the NIA dropped the UAPA charges against the seven accused in its chargesheet filed in September.
According to the chargesheet, the accused have been charged under the Immigration and Foreigners Act. The alleged offences under this law can be compounded, allowing certain violations to be settled by paying the prescribed fees.
VanDyke paid the compounding fees for the alleged violations under the Act and was granted default bail by the court last month.
The latest order allows VanDyke and the six Ukrainian nationals to continue staying outside India while the investigation proceeds. The extension also gives the NIA additional time to examine the remaining aspects of the case.
The case has drawn attention because of the allegations involving foreign nationals and the training of ethnic armed groups in Myanmar. The investigation is continuing, and the court's latest decision concerns permission to remain abroad rather than a final determination of the allegations against the accused.
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