The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has submitted a chargesheet in a special court against an American citizen and six Ukrainian nationals accused of unlawfully entering India and engaging in suspicious activities. The agency filed the chargesheet under provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act (IFA). NIA officials made it clear that while the initial chargesheet focuses on established immigration and foreign nationals violations, the broader investigation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) regarding alleged counter-terrorism offenses remains active and ongoing against all seven accused.
Immigration Chargesheet Details and Status of the UAPA Probe
The agency submitted its formal charge sheet on September 8 before Special Judge Prashant Sharma. The charges filed against the seven individuals invoke Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act. The legal period of 180 days for judicial custody was culminating on September 8, 2026. Consequently, the NIA prioritized submitting the chargesheet for the specific offenses where evidentiary gathering and investigation had reached completion within the mandated timeframe.
Official reports clarify that filing a chargesheet under immigration statutes does not signal the closure or termination of the UAPA case. Legal procedures permit the NIA to present supplementary chargesheets before the court if fresh evidence, documentation, or testimonies materialize during the continuing investigation under terror prevention laws.
Infiltration via Myanmar Border and Mercenary Allegations
The individuals named in the chargesheet include US national Matthew Aaron Van Dyke and six Ukrainian citizens, identified as Kaminskyi Viktor, Herba Petro, Sliviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, and Honcharuk Maksym. All seven foreign nationals were taken into custody by the agency on March 13. Investigators established that the group allegedly crossed into Indian territory illegally through the Mizoram border coming from Myanmar, after which they were intercepted at various domestic airports across the country.
Investigators suspect that the group functioned as mercenaries operating in the region. The agency previously informed the court that the suspects were being interrogated regarding a wider conspiracy involving assistance to ethnic armed groups operating across India and Myanmar. Specifically, the group is accused of imparting specialized drone operational training to these armed insurgent factions. Based on these allegations, initial cases were registered incorporating sections of the UAPA alongside the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Custodial Timeline and Consular Intervention Context
Following their arrest in March, the suspects were produced before the court on March 16, which granted the NIA an 11-day period of agency custody for interrogation. Upon completion of police remand, the court committed the accused persons to judicial custody, where they have remained during the investigation process.
Addressing queries regarding diplomatic communications from US officials concerning Matthew Aaron Van Dyke, sources indicated that such inquiries conform to standard international protocol. Whenever a foreign citizen is detained abroad, the respective embassy typically initiates contact with local authorities to seek consular access, ensure proper legal representation, and verify fair treatment in accordance with international standards.
