Those who were born in 1999, when the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 took place, are now witnessing the war like situation between India and Pakistan are grown up men and women. In between these long 26 years, one man is still relevant and calling the shot. Well, you have rightly identified him. He is none other than Ajit Doval, the super sleuth and National Security Advisor. The 1968 batch IPS officer, Ajit Doval was the key negotiator to release the Passengers from the Indian Airlines Flight IC 814. And now, he is the point man of the Indian government to deal with a very grim situation that arose due to gory killings of 26 tourists in Pahalgam.
In his recently published book- ‘ My Comint Memories’ on the silver Jubilee of Kandahar Hijacking, Vishnu Mishra, a veteran of India’s premier intelligence, RAW and someone who was there at the Kandahar when the negotiations were going on writes- “ I went to Kandhar with my Joint Secretary Anand Arni and Additional Secretary S.D. Sahai. My official duty was to establish and maintain Emergency Radio Communication between Kandahar and Delhi.” When Vishnu Mishra and his colleagues reached there, the senior team that was to negotiate with the hijackers were already camping in Kandhar. It had Ajit Doval, Chander Dhar Sahai and Vivek Katju. We all know that now a prolific writer, Katju is an IFS officer and an authority on Pakistan and Afghanistan affairs.
It may be recalled that this traumatic event, which unfolded over eight days from December 24 to December 31, 1999, involved the hijacking of an Airbus A300 en route from Kathmandu, Nepal, to New Delhi, India. The crisis exposed vulnerabilities in India’s security apparatus, sparked intense diplomatic negotiations, and led to the controversial release of three high-profile terrorists in exchange for the hostages.
On December 24, 1999, Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 departed from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at 4:00 PM IST, carrying 179 passengers and 11 crew members, including Captain Devi Sharan, First Officer Rajinder Kumar, and Flight Engineer Anil Kumar Jaggia. The flight was a routine one, expected to land in New Delhi within an hour and forty minutes. However, at approximately 4:39 PM, as the aircraft entered Indian airspace, five armed men, later identified as members of the Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), seized control of the plane. “ The hijackers, identified by Indian authorities as Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayeed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Mistry, and Shakir—all Pakistani nationals—used code names: Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar.” If you look their pictures, they all look so innocent and naive.
The hijackers ordered Captain Sharan to divert the plane westward, initially demanding to land in Lahore, Pakistan. However, Pakistani authorities denied landing permission, forcing the plane, which was critically low on fuel, to land at Raja Sansi Airport in Amritsar, India, at 7:00 PM. The aircraft remained on the tarmac for approximately 55 minutes, during which Indian authorities faced a critical opportunity to intervene. The Punjab Police sought permission from the central government to deploy commandos, while the Crisis Management Group (CMG) in Delhi considered sending National Security Guard (NSG) operatives. However, delays in decision-making and concerns about passenger safety prevented any action. Frustrated by the lack of refueling, the hijackers stabbed two passengers, including 25-year-old Rupin Katyal, who was fatally wounded, and forced the plane to take off without refueling.
The aircraft landed in Lahore at 8:07 PM, where it was refueled after negotiations with Pakistani authorities. It then proceeded to Dubai, landing at Al Minhad Air Base at 1:32 AM on December 25. In Dubai, the hijackers released 27 passengers, primarily women and children, and offloaded Rupin Katyal’s body. The United Arab Emirates denied India’s request to conduct a commando operation, citing sovereignty concerns. The plane then departed for its final destination, landing at Kandahar Airport in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan at 8:33 AM on December 25. The Taliban surrounded the aircraft with armed militia, claiming it was to protect the passengers, though Indian officials viewed this as a move to prevent a military rescue operation.

The Hostage Crisis

The hijackers’ initial demands were extensive: the release of 36 jailed terrorists, including Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar; a ransom of US$200 million; and the exhumation of HuM leader Sajjad Afghani’s body. Azhar, arrested in 1994 for terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, was a key figure in HuM. Sheikh, apprehended in 1994 for kidnapping foreigners, was linked to multiple militant groups. Zargar, arrested in 1992, faced numerous murder charges. The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, faced immense pressure to resolve the crisis without compromising national security.
Once the Indian External Affairs Minister Late Jaswant Singh arrived to lead the negotiations with the Pakistan’s ISI backed hijackers, it was certain that now the whole episode will be come to an end. Prior to his arrival as Vishnu Mishra writes- “ A negotiating team, including Ajit Doval, Vivek Katju, and CD Sahay, was talking to hijackers.” According to Mishra, Ajit Doval was not at all happy as the government had conceded so many demands of hijackers. Vivek Katju was happy that finally the passengers were freed.”
According to Vishnu Sharma- Ajit Doval is an outstanding officer and his understanding of the Security issues is matchless. In his highly gripping book, he has also discussed very important subjects like The Terrorism in India, The International Terrorism and The Rise and Fall of Osama Bin Laden in great detail. My Comint Memoris is published by Pravasi Prem Publishing.

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