UAPA terror case: US citizen, 6 Ukrainians sent to 30-day judicial custody
NEW DELHI: A special NIA court in Delhi on Monday remanded seven foreign nationals — six Ukrainians and one US citizen — to 30 days’ judicial custody till May 6 in a terror case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).Special Judge (NIA) Prashant Sharma passed the order after the seven accused were produced physically before the court at Patiala House after completing 10 days in NIA custody. The hearing was held in a closed courtroom, reported news agency ANI.The accused have been identified as US citizen Matthew Aaron Van Dyke and Ukrainian nationals Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim and Kaminskyi Viktor.Van Dyke has moved an application seeking a virtual meeting with his family members. The court issued notice to the NIA and listed the matter for hearing on April 8. His lawyers, Rohit Dandriyal and Rohit Gour, have also sought permission for a legal meeting, with the court seeking the agency’s response.The NIA has alleged that the accused were linked with ethnic armed groups in Myanmar and were supporting certain proscribed Indian insurgent groups by supplying weapons, terrorist hardware and training. The case has been lodged under Section 18 (terror conspiracy) of the UAPA and provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).On March 27, the NIA told the court that fresh facts had revealed the accused persons’ alleged involvement in a “conspiracy of terrorist act” under Section 18 of the UAPA.While earlier granting remand, the court had observed, “So, it is not the situation that the FIR does not make a whisper about illegal acts being done by accused persons against national security and interests of India. In other words, Section 18 of UA(P)A broadly applies.”The agency has said several key aspects still need investigation, including why the accused came to India, why they travelled to Myanmar, whether drones were used to impart training, and whether they had any direct or indirect links with Indian insurgent groups.“Why had the accused persons come to India? Why do they travel to Myanmar? What was their objective in using drones? Did the accused persons use drones to impart training to any person? whether any Indian or any member of a rebel ethnic group in India is linked with the accused persons, directly or indirectly? What infrastructure was used by the accused persons while visiting India and beyond? Such questions and questions of like nature need investigation. I am in agreement with NIA, based on the contents of case diaries, that facts of this case are sensitive in nature,” the judge had said, according to ANI.The NIA alleged that 14 Ukrainians had entered India on tourist visas on different dates, travelled to Guwahati and then to Mizoram, and subsequently crossed illegally into Myanmar without required documents. Investigators claim they were to conduct pre-scheduled training for Myanmar-based ethnic armed groups in drone warfare, drone operation, assembly and jamming technology, allegedly targeting the Myanmar junta.The agency further alleged that the accused entered Mizoram, a protected area, before crossing into Myanmar, where they came into contact with ethnic war groups. It also claimed they brought a large consignment of drones from Europe via India and were both trained in Myanmar and involved in training ethnic war groups allegedly associated with insurgent outfits in India.The seven arrested include three Ukrainians detained in Delhi, three in Lucknow and the US citizen arrested from Kolkata.