NIA drops UAPA on US national; Jairam Ramesh alleges Centre's pressure

Jairam Ramesh hit out at the Centre after the NIA did not invoke UAPA against US national Matthew VanDyke. The Congress leader questioned if the agency was pressurised by the Modi govt at the instance of US authorities to drop the terror charges.

Congress Questions Dropping of Terror Charges

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday attacked the Central government over the National Investigation Agency (NIA) not invoking provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in its chargesheet against US national Matthew Aaron VanDyke and six Ukrainian nationals, questioning whether the agency was "pressurised" to drop the terror charges.

In a post on X, Ramesh questioned whether the NIA's decision was based on the outcome of a proper investigation or was taken under pressure from the Modi government at the instance of US authorities. "Did NIA drop the terror charges against the US national Matthew VanDyke after a proper investigation or was it pressurised to do so right away by the Modi Govt at the instance of the US authorities? What is pro quo that India expects for this quid? This appears to be bullying," Ramesh wrote.

VanDyke's Family Petitions for Release

The family of @Matt_VanDyke seeks urgent U.S. diplomatic intervention as Matthew VanDyke is presently still denied basic detainee rights, and is being kept in solitary confinement at Tihar Jail 8/9 in Delhi, India. It is time to bring #MatthewVanDyke back home! #FreeVanDyke pic.twitter.com/g1CrRnMnDF — Matthew VanDyke (@Matt_VanDyke) August 30, 2026 Earlier on September 2, an X account puroportedly operated by the family of Matthew VanDyke had petitioned the US Government for his release from Tihar jail claiming that he was innocent of charges.

"The family of @Matt_VanDyke seeks urgent U.S. diplomatic intervention as he is presently still denied basic detainee rights, and is being kept in solitary confinement at Tihar Jail 8/9 in Delhi, India. Matthew is innocent of all charges against him. Throughout his career, he has documented human suffering and provided humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and crisis," the family said

NIA Files Chargesheet Under Foreigners Act

Earlier on Tuesday, the NIA filed a chargesheet before the Rouse Avenue court against six Ukrainian nationals and US citizen VanDyke in a case registered by the agency in March 2026. The case was initially registered under the UAPA. However, the UAPA provision has not been invoked in the chargesheet filed by the agency.

The NIA's Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) said that the investigation in this regard is still ongoing and the agency may file a supplementary chargesheet if an offence under the UAPA is made out.

The NIA has invoked Sections 21 and 23 of the Foreigners Act in the chargesheet. These are compoundable offences at the level of the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). The chargesheet was filed before Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma, who has listed the matter for consideration on October 1.

Background of the Arrests and Allegations

The seven accused were arrested in connection with allegations of training ethnic armed groups in Myanmar that were allegedly inimical to India's national security.

The NIA had arrested Matthew Aaron Van Dyke (US citizen) and Ukrainian nationals Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim and Kaminskyi Viktor. VanDyke, a self-described combat specialist and founder of the security firm Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), was arrested at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on March 13, around 9 pm, as part of a coordinated crackdown.

The accused were allegedly involved in supporting ethnic armed groups in Myanmar by supplying weapons, terrorist hardware and training them. They were arrested in a case lodged under Section 18 of the UAPA, relating to terror conspiracy, along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and were remanded to 11 days of NIA custody on March 17.

The accused remained in custody for around 180 days after their arrests in May 2026, according to the case details.

However, the NIA has maintained that its investigation is continuing and that a supplementary chargesheet could be filed if an offence under the UAPA is established. (ANI)

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