US National Mathew VanDyke Returns to India, Appears Before Delhi Court in Myanmar Training Case
US national Mathew VanDyke appeared before a Delhi court on Friday after returning to India, following permission to travel to his home country for a month, according to people familiar with the development.
The court had directed VanDyke to appear within 72 hours of his return, one of the sources said. He was completing the necessary formalities before the court on Friday.
The six Ukrainian nationals arrested with him on March 13 have not yet returned to India.
UAPA Charges Dropped From September Chargesheet
A Delhi court had allowed VanDyke and the six Ukrainians to travel to their respective countries last month on the condition that they would rejoin the investigation.
The seven were initially arrested in March under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). However, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) omitted the UAPA charges from its chargesheet filed in September and charged the accused under the Immigration and Foreigners Act.
The alleged offences under the latter law can be compounded. VanDyke paid the prescribed compounding fees for the alleged violations and was granted default bail by the court last month.
The NIA has maintained that its investigation under the UAPA is continuing.
Six Ukrainian Nationals Yet to Return
The Ukrainian nationals arrested alongside VanDyke are Hurba Petro, Taras Slyviak, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Marian Stefankiv, Maksim Honcharuk and Viktor Kaminskyi.
Their return to India remains pending, even as VanDyke has appeared before the court in accordance with the conditions imposed during his temporary departure.
NIA Allegations Over Drone Training in Myanmar
The NIA had alleged that the seven accused entered Myanmar illegally through Mizoram without valid travel documents. According to the agency, they took part in a pre-arranged training programme for ethnic armed groups fighting Myanmar’s military junta.
The agency alleged that, over nearly three months, the accused trained members of groups including the Chin National Front (CNF) and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in drone warfare, drone operations, assembly techniques and jamming technology.
The NIA further alleged that members of the CNF provided logistical assistance to VanDyke and the others, while a commander of a Myanmar-based rebel group arranged funding for the operation.
The allegations form part of the ongoing investigation.