Special Judge Prashant Sharma of the Rouse Avenue court released Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim and Kaminskyi Viktor on personal cash bonds of ₹1 lakh each, and discharged them under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
The court noted that the offences – unauthorised entry and visa overstay – had been compounded by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, which imposed a fine of ₹5.5 lakh on each accused.
The six Ukrainians were taken into custody at Delhi and Lucknow airports on March 13, the same day American citizen Matthew Aaron VanDyke was arrested at Kolkata airport on similar allegations.
The NIA’s original charge sheet alleged that the group entered India on tourist visas, travelled to the northeastern states without required permits, crossed into Myanmar from Mizoram and received training to assist ethnic armed organisations, even suggesting involvement in assembling equipment to target a passenger aircraft.
Although the agency initially invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the final charge sheet relied solely on the immigration provisions, a move that allows the offences to be compounded rather than prosecuted as non‑compoundable terrorism offences.
The NIA has said its investigation into any terror‑related aspects remains open and that a supplementary charge sheet could be filed later.
The court will hear VanDyke’s request for permission to travel to the United States on September 25, following his own default bail granted on September 18.