The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has not invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against six Ukrainian citizens and one U.S. citizen, who were arrested in March for allegedly training anti-India armed groups in Myanmar, in its first charge sheet submitted in a special court on Tuesday.
Mr. Six Ukrainians — Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim, and Kaminskyi Viktor — were also arrested in connection with the case, at airports in Delhi and Lucknow. Van Dyke was arrested by the NIA on March 13, at Kolkata airport. “On 4 June 2026, when the initial period of 90 days was approaching its end, the NIA sought and obtained an extension of 90 days for completion of the investigation, taking the total period to 180 days. On 8 September 2026, at the end of the extended 180-day period, the NIA has filed a charge-sheet against my client under Sections 21 and 23 of the Foreigners Act, rather than under the serious UAPA allegation with which he was initially arrested,” the advocates said.
Instead, the accused were only charged with violations of immigration law, though the agency told the court that a supplementary chargesheet may be filed later if needed.
Van Dyke, told The Hindu that their client had spent more than 180 days in custody before the agency filed the chargesheet without invoking the UAPA. The NIA had initially invoked provisions of the UAPA, including those relating to conspiracy, as part of its investigation into the alleged cross-border network. The NIA also claimed that they were involved in assembling equipment and had targeted a passenger aircraft in Myanmar. Appearing for the agency, Special Public Prosecutor Rahul Tyagi informed the court that the agency had not invoked UAPA sections in this chargesheet, but noted that the investigation is still going on. The agency may file a supplementary chargesheet if an offence under the Act is made out, he added. Advocates Rohit Dandriyal and Rohit Gour, who represented Mr.
During earlier hearings, the agency told the court that the accused had made significant disclosures about the alleged conspiracy while in custody.
