VOI World/ Desk
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has dropped provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) from its chargesheet against an American citizen and six Ukrainian nationals arrested in India earlier this year.
The seven were arrested in March after investigators alleged that they had travelled to Mizoram without the required Protected Area Permit and subsequently crossed into Myanmar. The group was suspected of links with armed groups operating in the region.
The latest chargesheet, however, invokes Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, instead of UAPA provisions. The NIA has said its investigation into possible offences under the anti-terror law remains ongoing and that a supplementary chargesheet could be filed if further evidence emerges.
The American national, Matthew Aaron VanDyke, was arrested at Kolkata airport, while the six Ukrainians were detained at airports in Delhi and Lucknow. The NIA had earlier alleged that the group travelled from India into Myanmar and was involved in training ethnic armed groups, including through drone-related activities.
The case has attracted international attention because of the nationalities of those detained and the alleged cross-border links. A Delhi court is scheduled to consider the chargesheet on October 1.
