Court Allows 7 Arrested Foreigners To Travel Abroad For A Month

A special NIA court at Rouse Avenue on Thursday granted permission to US National Matthew Aaron Vandyke and 6 Ukrainian nationals to travel to the USA and Ukraine to meet their families for one month, subject to certain conditions and formalities.

The court said that the right to travel abroad is an extension of a fundamental right under the Constitution of India.

NIA Judge Prashant Sharma allowed the applications seeking permission to travel abroad and release their passports. 

The court allowed the US National Matthew Aaron Vandyke to travel to the USA, and six Ukrainians have been allowed to travel to Ukraine to meet their families for a month.

The court directed them to return to India after the expiry of one month and inform the court within 72 Hours.

The court directed that their passports be released to them. The court has directed them to furnish their details within 24 hours.

All seven foreigners have been granted default bail by the court. They are likely to be released from Tihar Jail on Thursday.

While hearing the applications, the court noted that the accused persons have shown their willingness to join the investigation when asked by NIA.

Accused Matthew Aaron Vandyke and co-accused persons, namely Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim alias Maksym and Kaminskyi Viktor, are allowed to go abroad to the USA and Ukraine, respectively, as per Law for a period of one month only, to be calculated from the date they board flights, subject to the following conditions, the court ordered on September 24.

The court has directed them to join the investigation through video call or physically, as demanded by NIA.

The court directed them to furnish details of their residential addresses, working mobile numbers, and e-mails to NIA within 24 hours from now.

In case the applicant and co-accused persons have no working phone number, then they are given liberty to furnish mobile numbers of their family members within 24 hours from now and, subject to them reaching their respective destinations, they will furnish their working phone numbers within a week.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Rahul Tyagi alongwith Advocate Amit Rohila appeared for the NIA. It was submitted that further investigation is ongoing. Though the immediate presence of accused persons is not required. A suitable undertaking may be taken from them.

Advocate Rohit Dandriyal and Rohit Gour appeared for Dyke and moved an application seeking discharge of him in offences under the Immigration and Foreigners Act in view of the compounding that took place on September 18. The court allowed the application.