US National Matthew Aaron VanDyke Granted Bail by Delhi Court
In a significant legal development, a Delhi court has granted default bail to Matthew Aaron VanDyke, a United States national arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in March. Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma of the Rouse Avenue Court ordered VanDyke’s release on a personal bond of ₹1 lakh, supported by a surety of the same amount.
Chargesheet and Bail Conditions
The court’s decision stemmed from its observation that the chargesheet submitted by the NIA was “piecemeal,” as it only addressed violations under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 1925. The court underscored that the investigation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) remains ongoing, which means VanDyke is eligible for default bail.
“The investigating agency cannot circumvent Section 187(3) BNSS (formerly Section 167(2) CrPC) by filing an incomplete chargesheet to deny default bail to the applicant/accused, Matthew Aaron VanDyke,” the court declared. While on bail, VanDyke is required to reside in Delhi and make himself available to the NIA whenever summoned. The court also extended default bail to the other co-accused in the case.
Arrest and Allegations
VanDyke was detained by the NIA at Kolkata airport on March 13, 2026, accompanying six Ukrainian nationals who were apprehended at Lucknow and Delhi airports that same day. According to VanDyke’s website, he has experience serving in the Iraq War and Libya’s civil war. He is the founder of Sons of Liberty International, a Washington, DC-based security consulting firm that trains vulnerable populations for defense against terrorism and insurgencies. The firm reportedly advised Ukraine’s military on non-lethal equipment between 2022 and 2023.
Charges and Legal Representation
The group is accused of entering India’s Mizoram state without proper permits and illegally crossing into Myanmar, where they allegedly provided drone warfare training to ethnic armed groups fighting Myanmar’s military government. Initially, the case was registered under Section 18 of the UAPA. However, the first chargesheet focused solely on the Immigration and Foreigners Act violations, with the NIA later clarifying that terror charges have not been dismissed.
VanDyke’s legal defense was handled by advocates Rohit Dandriyal and Rohit Gour, while the NIA’s case was prosecuted by Special Public Prosecutor Rahul Tyagi, along with advocates Ankit Gautam and Jatin.
