Real Story Behind IC 814: Flight Attendant Shares Insights on the Kandahar Hijack | NewsX Exclusive

Indian Airlines Flight 814, commonly known as IC 814, was hijacked on December 24, 1999, by five members of Pakistan-based terror organisation Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.

The passenger flight, en route from Kathmandu, Nepal to New Delhi, India was seized shortly after entering Indian airspace at approximately 16:53 IST. The aircraft, carrying 190 occupants, including 179 passengers and 11 crew members, was diverted to Taliban-ruled Kandahar to demand the release of terrorists imprisoned in India.

A recent web series titled IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, directed by Anubhav Sinha for Netflix, has ignited controversy over the portrayal of certain characters involved in the hijacking. The series is based on the book written by Captain Devi Sharan, the main pilot of IC814. The series dramatizes the events surrounding the hijacking, including the interactions between the hijackers, the crew, and the passengers, while also showing how Indian government officials worked with governments from across the world to resolve the crisis. The controversy, fueled by social media users, centers on the portrayal of the hijackers’ names in the series, and their alleged ‘humanisation’. Critics have argued that the series has only used the code names that the hijackers used to identify themselves, which included two names ‘Bhola’ & ‘Shankar’. The actual names of the hijackers were Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, and Shakir—they were all Pakistani nationals.

In an exclusive interview, Anil Sharma, the Chief Flight Attendant on IC 814, shared harrowing details of the hijacking with Devika Chopra, News Editor at NewsX.

When asked about what he remembers from the hijacking, Anil Sharma stated, “It was a routine flight. We were slightly delayed when we left Delhi. The rest of the crew—all three members of the cockpit crew and seven hostesses from Hyderabad—had started the day in Hyderabad. They operated the Hyderabad-Delhi flight and were supposed to do Delhi-Kathmandu and then have a layover in Delhi. The flight got delayed because of a change of aircraft at Delhi for operational reasons. There was a lot of activity at Kathmandu airport because the captain said that sunset was approaching, and if I recall correctly, there were no night operations at that time. The boarding process was rushed, but everything seemed normal. The unusual activity began 40 minutes after we had gotten airborne from Kathmandu.”

Regarding the hijackers’ initial actions, Sharma recalled, “I was coming out of the cockpit, and as I mentioned earlier, the cockpit crew and cabin crew had started their day in Hyderabad. It had already been a long day. I was the only one who had joined from Delhi, and I thought, ‘Let me offer them a cup of tea or coffee before we touch down in Delhi.’ So, I was coming out of the cockpit, and everything seemed very cheerful. The captains were in a good mood, and the flight engineer was joking with me. When I came out, I found a guy standing in the short corridor between the cockpit door and the galley. There were two toilets on either side of where I was positioned. I saw this guy wearing a mask and spectacles and holding a pistol. He said, ‘Hum takeover kar rahe hain, aap hoshiyari mat dikhaiye,’ and I felt that the game was already over as far as my role was concerned. It was too late to inform the captain or do anything about the door because he virtually pushed me and warned me. I raised my hand to use the intercom, and then he said this. After that, another guy appeared. The chief went into the cockpit; another guy appeared. By the time I was leaving the business class and heading towards the economy class, the number of hijackers had grown to three—one was in the business class, and they started pushing people back, hijacking, and pulling the food trays from people, throwing them on the floor, and creating an atmosphere of horror. When I went and sat in the first row of the economy class, I found two guys getting up from among the passengers, and soon they also had masks on their faces. One of them was carrying a dagger, one was carrying a grenade, and another a revolver.”

When asked about his initial reaction to the hijacking, Sharma said, “Initially, after they took control, they wanted a PA system to address the passengers. One of them tried to use the PA system, but it didn’t work, so he threw it against the aircraft wall. We gave him a handheld microphone. The basic intention was to avoid enraging them further and to ensure we didn’t risk damage to the aircraft or lives by confronting them. Over the next few days, they became a bit more friendly, calling me Sharma-saab and showing respect. We cooperated to avoid worsening the situation, and the crew members were trained to handle such crises calmly.”

The IC814 Route & Casualties

 The hijackers wanted to land in Pakistan, but the plane didn’t have enough fuel to make the journey. Pakistan ATC had also refused permission to land as the nation wanted to maintain its ‘distance’ from the terrorists.

Out of desperation, the pilot of the aircraft convinced the hijackers to land the plane in Amritsar, India. As the plane was re-routed, the hijackers brought between six to ten male passengers to the business-class section, blindfolded them and tied their hands. Passengers Satnam Singh and Rupin Katyal were brutally stabbed and gravely injured. Rupin Katyal, a newlywed who was returning from his honeymoon with his wife Rachna, eventually bled to death and became the lone casualty of the hijacking. After Amritsar, IC 814 was flown to Lahore, Pakistan where it was refuelled and eventually to Dubai, UAE.

Sharma added, “Until we reached Dubai, at Al Minhad airport, I did not know that two people had been assaulted. My junior colleague Satish and a hostess named Raji attended to the wounded passengers. Between Lahore and Dubai, Satnam Singh was bandaged and in great pain. Upon reaching Al Minhad, I was directed to carry a deceased passenger (Rupin Katyal) to the step ladder at the door of the aircraft.”

The Final Destination & Negotiation

The Indian Government secured the release of 27 passengers including children, women and elderly in Dubai with support of the UAE Government, in exchange for further re-fuelling of the plane. The final destination of IC814 was Kandahar airport in Afghanistan, where the plane landed on 25th December 1999. Kandahar was under the control of the Taliban, who surrounded the plane with guns and tanks.

 

Regarding the situation in Kandahar, flight attendant Anil Sharma says, “The aircraft was surrounded by Taliban soldiers, and there was no visible information about what was happening outside. The hijackers had developed a rapport with the Taliban, and there were exchanges of packets and conversations. We were released on the third day in the morning after negotiations.”

 

 

Lastly, when asked what he believed were some key learnings from the incident, especially for airlines, passengers, and security forces, Mr. Sharma replied with a positive attitude, claiming, “The learnings are that no matter how well you train the crew or provide them with facilities to deal with such a situation, it all boils down to how you handle the situation. One has to be alert, especially in airports and during boarding. Everything must be cross-checked. Crew members must also be aware of potential situations that can arise and deal with them calmly, without panicking, and avoid triggering or aggravating the terrorists’ sentiments. Maintaining a high degree of alertness is crucial. Additionally, the system must continuously improve. There should be intelligence sharing among countries and effective measures to deal with hijacks if they happen in the future.”

 

What was the Kandahar Hijack?

The Kandahar Hijack was a terrorist incident involving Indian Airlines Flight 814, which was seized by five Harkat-ul-Mujahideen militants on December 24, 1999. The plane, flying from Kathmandu to Delhi, was hijacked after entering Indian airspace. With 190 people on board, including 179 passengers and 11 crew members, the hijackers demanded the release of Pakistani prisoners held in Indian jails on terrorism charges.

After two days of internal discussions, India sent a negotiation team led by Vivek Katju, including officials Ajit Doval and C.D. Sahay. The hijacking was part of a series of millennium attack plots by Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists. Following negotiations, India agreed to release three terrorists – Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, Masood Azhar, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar – in exchange for the hostages. The IC814 hijack is the longest hijack in aviation history.

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