The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has not dropped its terror probe against six Ukrainian nationals and US national Matthew Aaron VanDyke. According to reports, sources stated that an inquiry is underway, and the chargesheet does not indicate that all terror-related charges have been withdrawn.
As a result, the accused continue to be investigated for offences under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The insiders mentioned that the agency has filed a chargesheet under the Immigration and Foreigners Act (IFA) because these violations have already been thoroughly proven throughout the investigation.
Therefore, instead of letting the statutory period run out, the NIA lodged a chargesheet for those breaches, but this should not be mistaken for the conclusion of the broader probe.
The foreigners were arrested in March for providing training to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar that were hostile to India. The NIA’s chargesheet submitted to a special Delhi court on 8th September (Tuesday) did not include the UAPA charges. However, the NIA sources stressed that the investigation into the terror allegations remained active. The chargesheet itself indicated the terror angle was still being examined. The NIA emphasised that supplementary chargesheets might be submitted as the inquiry proceeds.
“During the investigation, it has been revealed that accused Van Dyke and other arrested Ukrainian nationals visited India in December 2025 after obtaining a tourist visa and thereafter crossed the Myanmar border to reach Victoria Camp, Myanmar, for providing training to Ethnic Armed Groups (EAGs) of Myanmar,” the NIA chargesheet stated.
Interestingly, the Chin National Army (CNA), one of the most potent ethnic armed groups in Myanmar, has its military headquarters in Victoria Camp. “Investigation also revealed that the accused persons entered Myanmar illegally via Mizoram without any valid travel documents to conduct pre-scheduled training on drone warfare, drone operation, assembly and jamming technology to Ethnic Armed Groups in Myanmar in December 2025 and entered India illegally through an unauthorised port of entry in March 2026, thereby violating the condition of the visa issued to them by the Indian Government,” the chargesheet further conveyed.
According to reports, the UAPA investigation has not been dropped, abandoned or closed just because its provisions are not included in the current IFA chargesheet. Additionally, sources explained that it is very common for US diplomats to bring up the subject of one of their imprisoned people. According to India’s own MEA, Indian missions request consular access, legal aid, equitable treatment, and, if necessary, a prompt trial or remission whenever an Indian is detained abroad. The Vienna Convention expressly permits consular access to such persons.
