Pasta in Tihar Jail: Bizarre inside-prison demand of American terror accused Matthew VanDyke

From inmates demanding special meals to criminals using drones to smuggle narcotics, across the world, prisons are battling challenges that go far beyond locked cells and high walls. In New Delhi's Tihar Jail, American national Matthew Vandyke has asked a special NIA court to let him cook his own food inside prison. Arrested in March 2026 in a terror conspiracy case, Vandyke says he cannot eat the jail's "spicy, oily and greasy" meals. He wants permission for his family to provide an induction cooker, cooking stove, olive oil, pasta and other essentials.

Vandyke claims he has lost 14 kilograms during three months in judicial custody after remaining on a prolonged hunger strike. According to his plea, he has been on a hunger strike since May 6 because he could not cope with the food served in jail. The NIA has accused Vandyke and six Ukrainian nationals of illegally entering Mizoram, crossing into Myanmar and training ethnic armed groups linked to organisations targeting both India and Myanmar's military.

At the same time, a new report from Britain's prison inspector has revealed a very different prison crisis. Criminal gangs are increasingly using drones to deliver drugs directly into jails, fuelling a thriving black market behind bars. The report says inmates can order cocaine, ketamine, cannabis, steroids and even lifestyle drugs.

Smugglers exploit broken windows, sneak in keys and glue to remove and refit window panes, and even disguise drug packages as rubbish bags to avoid detection. The findings show nearly 40 per cent of prisoners believe drugs are easy to obtain inside prison.

The report blames overcrowding, boredom, and inmates spending up to 22 hours a day locked in their cells for driving demand. Exposing how prison systems globally are struggling with challenges both inside and outside their walls.