Stories
NIA Court Allows US, Ukrainian Nationals in Myanmar Drone Case to Travel Home for a Month
- •A special NIA court in Delhi has permitted US national Matthew Aaron VanDyke and six Ukrainian nationals, accused in the Myanmar training camp case, to travel to their home countries for one month to meet their families.
- •The court ordered the release of their passports, emphasizing that the right to travel abroad is an extension of a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution.
- •The permission is valid for one month from their flight departure, with a directive for all seven to return to India and inform the court within 72 hours of their return.
- •Conditions for travel include providing residential addresses, working mobile numbers, and email addresses to the NIA, and joining investigations physically or via video call when required.
- •All seven accused have been granted default bail and were expected to be released from Tihar Jail, with the NIA stating their immediate presence was not required for ongoing investigations.
Key Questions Answered
The special NIA court allowed US national Matthew VanDyke and six Ukrainian nationals to travel to the US and Ukraine for a month to meet their families. The court observed that the right to travel abroad is an extension of a fundamental right under the Constitution of India.
The court directed the seven accused to join the NIA investigation physically or via video call whenever required, and to furnish their contact details within 24 hours. They must return to India after one month and inform the court within 72 hours of their return.
Investigations revealed that Matthew VanDyke and his team of Ukrainian veterans deliberately chose Mizoram's porous border as a strategic, low-risk gateway to enter Myanmar's Chin State and train rebel groups in drone warfare.
