Myanmar Training Camp Case: Matthew VanDyke Seeks Permission To Travel To US

US national Matthew Aaron VanDyke has moved a Delhi court seeking permission to travel to the United States to meet his family in the Myanmar training camp case. He has also filed a separate plea seeking to furnish a cash bond instead of a surety bond, ANI reported.

The court has received a report from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in a sealed envelope. Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma is scheduled to hear both applications at 2 PM on Tuesday.

VanDyke was earlier granted default bail subject to furnishing a personal bond of ₹1 lakh and a surety bond of the same amount. The matter relating to offences under the Immigration and Foreigners Act has also been compounded.

Bail And Charges

The National Investigation Agency arrested VanDyke on March 13 in connection with alleged offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. On September 18, the Special NIA court granted him default bail after finding that the agency had filed an incomplete charge sheet in connection with the alleged UAPA offences.

The court noted that VanDyke had remained in custody for more than 80 days and that the NIA had not filed a charge sheet under the UAPA while further investigation continued. It ordered that he be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond and a surety bond of ₹1 lakh each, subject to the court's satisfaction.

“In the wake of further investigation being carried out by NIA with respect of offences under UAPA, at this stage it cannot be concluded that accused Matthew Aaron VanDyke is not entitled to default bail,” the court said.

“As such, the investigating agency cannot circumvent Section 187(3) BNSS by filing an incomplete charge-sheet, for the purpose of denying default bail to accused Matthew Aaron VanDyke,” Special Judge Prashant Sharma said.

Immigration Case Status

The immigration side of the case has moved separately. The matter relating to offences under the Immigration and Foreigners Act has been compounded.

The NIA filed a charge sheet without invoking UAPA provisions and instead used Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. The court also noted that under Section 43D(2) of the UAPA, the investigation had to be completed within the statutory period of 180 days, which ended on September 8, 2026.

The agency filed that charge sheet on September 8 in relation to the Immigration and Foreigners Act offences, while maintaining that further investigation into the alleged UAPA offences was continuing. Six Ukrainian nationals are also in custody in the case.

The defence told the court that VanDyke was prepared to comply with the bail terms. His counsel, advocates Rohit Dandriyal and Rohit Gour, submitted that he was ready and willing to furnish the personal and surety bonds as directed by the court.

The court is now set to take up his pleas seeking permission to travel to theUS and to replace the surety bond with a cash bond.