Matthew Aaron Van Dyke seeks bail as NIA continues terror probe

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Delhi has issued a notice to the NIA regarding a bail plea filed by US national Matthew Aaron Van Dyke. The court has requested a response from the agency by September 18.

Van Dyke and six Ukrainian nationals were arrested in March 2026 following allegations involving illegal entry into Myanmar and providing drone-warfare training to ethnic armed groups. While a recent chargesheet filed by the NIA included offences under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, it did not invoke the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Van Dyke’s legal team is seeking default bail on the grounds that the UAPA provisions were not included in the latest chargesheet. However, the NIA’s Special Public Prosecutor stated that the investigation into terror conspiracy remains ongoing and that a supplementary chargesheet may be filed if UAPA offences are substantiated. The agency noted that more time is required to verify facts related to the UAPA probe.