A US national arrested in an alleged terror conspiracy case has approached a Delhi court seeking permission to cook his own meals inside Tihar Jail, claiming he is unable to eat the prison's "spicy, oily, deep-fried and greasy" food.
Matthew VanDyke, who has been in judicial custody since April, told a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court that he has lost 14 kilograms over the past three months after going on a prolonged hunger strike because he could not adapt to the food served in jail.
In his plea before the Patiala House Courts, VanDyke requested permission for his family to provide him with cooking equipment, including an induction cooker and a portable stove, along with food items such as olive oil and pasta so he could prepare his own meals.
According to the application, VanDyke has remained on a hunger strike since May 6, saying the prison diet has caused severe physical discomfort and negatively affected his health.
He argued that, as an American citizen, he is neither accustomed to nor medically capable of regularly consuming the food typically served in Indian prisons.
VanDyke also requested that prison authorities provide mosquito repellents, mosquito nets or other protective measures, claiming his weakened physical condition makes him more vulnerable to mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue.
The US national was arrested by the NIA in March along with six Ukrainian nationals. Investigators allege the group illegally entered India's northeastern state of Mizoram before crossing into Myanmar, where they allegedly trained ethnic armed groups accused of supporting terrorist organisations operating in India and fighting Myanmar's military government.
VanDyke was initially detained at Kolkata International Airport before being transferred to Tihar Jail on April 6.
The court has directed Tihar Jail authorities to submit their response to the plea and scheduled the matter for hearing on July 21.
