IC814 Hijacking: LK Advani and AS Dulat Reveal Insights

Advani's Perspective

Former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, who was the Home Minister during the IC814 hijacking incident, provided his account in his autobiography "My Country My Life".

Advani recalled that the government's priority was to ensure the safety of the hostages, and he had directed the security forces to take every possible measure.

Dulat's Revelation

Former RAW Chief AS Dulat, in his book "Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years", revealed details about the behind-the-scenes negotiations and the involvement of intelligence agencies.

Dulat stated that he had personally been involved in the negotiations with the hijackers and that the government had considered releasing three militants in exchange for the release of the passengers.

Moment-by-Moment Account

Initial Hijacking

On December 24, 1999, Indian Airlines Flight IC814 took off from Kathmandu en route to New Delhi.

Shortly after takeoff, the plane was hijacked by five armed men who demanded the release of three militants imprisoned in India.

Layover in Amritsar

The hijackers forced the plane to land in Amritsar, where they refueled and held some passengers hostage.

The government refused to release the militants, and the hijackers subsequently flew the plane to Kandahar, Afghanistan, then controlled by the Taliban.

Taliban Involvement

In Kandahar, the hijackers sought the intervention of the Taliban, who initially expressed willingness to mediate.

However, negotiations stalled, and the hijackers grew increasingly agitated, threatening to kill the hostages.

Release of Hostages

After nearly a week, the hijackers agreed to release all but one hostage, an Indian passenger named Rupin Katyal, in exchange for the release of the three militants.

The remaining hostage, Katyal, was released a few days later.

Aftermath

The IC814 hijacking was a significant event in Indian aviation history.

It raised concerns about the security of Indian airspace and led to a strengthening of anti-hijacking measures.