The IC 814 Kandahar Hijack: Controversy Over Terrorists’ Hindu Names and Major Revelations by Former RAW Chief

The 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 remains one of the most significant and controversial terrorist incidents in Indian history. Two decades later, the recent release of the Netflix web series “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” has reignited discussions around this event. The series has sparked significant controversy over the depiction of terrorists with Hindu names, leading to strong opposition not only from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but also from several other organizations. In response to the controversy, the government issued a notice to Netflix, to which the platform has promised to make changes in the series. In the web series “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack,” the terrorists are shown with Hindu code names, such as Chief, Burger, Doctor, Bhola, and Shankar. This portrayal has angered a large section of the public, as the series does not mention the terrorists’ real names. In reality, the hijackers’ names were Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Syed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistry Zahoor Ibrahim, and Syed Shakir. After the government’s notice, Netflix announced that a disclaimer would be added at the beginning of the series to show the terrorists’ real names, to prevent any misunderstandings.

On December 24, 1999, Indian Airlines flight IC 814 took off from Kathmandu to Delhi, carrying 179 passengers and crew members. Shortly after takeoff, the flight was hijacked by Pakistani terrorists. The plane was first landed in Amritsar, from where it was flown to Kandahar, Afghanistan. During this time, the terrorists demanded the release of their associates from the Indian government. The situation was extremely critical as the terrorists had put the lives of the passengers at risk. Finally, on December 28, 1999, the Indian government struck a deal with the Taliban, under which three dangerous terrorists—Maulana Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh, and Mushtaq Zargar—were released.

Recently, Amarjit Singh Dulat, the former head of India’s intelligence agency RAW, made a significant revelation regarding this incident. He admitted that there were lapses in decision-making by India’s security agencies during the hijacking. Dulat revealed that when the plane was grounded in Amritsar, Indian security forces had the opportunity to ensure that the plane did not leave Indian territory. However, a wrong decision was made at this crucial moment, which allowed the plane to be flown to Kandahar. Dulat also mentioned that he had a lengthy conversation with Sarabjit Singh, the then-DGP of Punjab. Sarabjit Singh had made it clear that he was not KPS Gill, who would risk his job to take bold steps. The then-Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal also did not want any bloodshed in Amritsar. Due to such concerns, clear instructions were not received from Delhi, resulting in a missed opportunity to stop the terrorists.

Dulat further stated that after the plane left Amritsar, India had no option but to negotiate with the terrorists. The decisions made at that time were appropriate given the circumstances, but Dulat has acknowledged the mistakes in decision-making before, and continues to do so. Ultimately, the hostages aboard the plane were safely brought back after the release of the three terrorists as part of the deal between the Indian government and the Taliban on December 28, 1999. Then-Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh personally went to Kandahar to hand over the three terrorists. Upon reaching Kandahar, officers from Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI identified the terrorists’ relatives, ensuring the release of the passengers.