NEW DELHI: A Delhi court will hear on July 21 a plea moved by American national Matthew Aaron VanDyke seeking permission to prepare his own meals, be provided an “American-style diet” and keep certain food items inside jail. He claims that he has been on a “hunger strike” since May 6 due to his inability to consume the prison’s “spicy, oily and deep-fried food.”NIA Judge Prashant Sharma on Wednesday granted the jail superintendent a week to file a reply, as the agency said it won’t respond to the application. The court also extended Van Dyke’s judicial custody till Aug 1.Moved on “humanitarian grounds” as per the American’s counsel-Rohit Gour and Rohit Dandriyal, the plea stated that Van Dyke has survived on a liquid diet of soya milk for nearly 50 days, leading to loss of about 14 kg, “as he has been unable to consume the regular prison food due to his dietary habits”. It sought permission for him to cook his own meals using an induction cooker and basic utensils, and to keep food items, including lentils, chicken, red meat, pasta, olive oil, toned milk, soya milk and bottled water. “Matthew’s family is willing to bear the entire cost of the proposed dietary arrangement and all related expenses,” it added.According to the application, VanDyke’s deteriorating health was evident during his July 3 court appearance, when he was reportedly “unable to stand, appeared visibly frail and had considerable difficulty addressing the court”. It claimed the prolonged nutritional deficiency had adversely affected his health, including a decline in his eyesight, which the defence attributed to “the lack of an adequate nutritional diet during incarceration”. His counsel also sought a continuous supply of soya milk.VanDyke also sought directions for prison authorities to provide mosquito repellent, mosquito nets or other protective measures. The American was arrested by NIA on March 13 along with six Ukrainian nationals after they allegedly entered India from Myanmar through the Mizoram border. The agency alleges the group was part of a cross-border terror conspiracy involving training militants and supplying weapons to ethnic armed groups in India and Myanmar.