In a ruling that underscores the flexibility of India’s Immigration and Foreigners Act (2025), Delhi’s Rouse Avenue special court has permitted a U.S. citizen and six Ukrainian nationals—previously arrested in March on suspicion of supplying drones to Myanmar insurgent groups—to leave India for one month to visit their families. Journalist Sohail Khan first reported the order in National Revealed at 01:00 a.m. on 25 September. Judge Prashant Sharma noted that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has so far charged the group only under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, not under anti-terror UAPA provisions. The court observed that the accused had been cooperative, granted default bail earlier after the NIA missed its 180-day deadline to file a comprehensive chargesheet, and had undertaken to appear whenever summoned. The decision requires the seven individuals to furnish detailed contact information, execute a bond and report any change of address while abroad. Their passports, currently held by the FRRO, will be released temporarily. Failure to return by the stipulated date will trigger lookout circulars and forfeiture of the bond. Legal analysts say the case illustrates how immigration offences can be de-escalated from national-security narratives when investigators lack timely evidence. For multinational employers this highlights the importance of monitoring staff legal exposure, particularly where drone technology and dual-use goods are concerned. The ruling also offers insight into India’s evolving approach to foreign-national rights under the 2025 Act, which introduced compoundable immigration offences and expanded judicial discretion for humanitarian travel requests. Companies should review internal compliance protocols to ensure expatriate employees understand their obligations and the potential consequences of overstaying or visa misuse.
Source: National Revealed
