Indian Airlines Flight 814

Indian Airlines

Industry	Aviation
Founded	1953
Headquarters	New Delhi , India

Indian Airlines Flight 814, also known as IC 814, was an Indian Airlines Airbus A300 aircraft hijacked on 24 December 1999 by five operatives from Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The flight, en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, was commandeered shortly after crossing into Indian airspace around 16:53 IST. Onboard were 190 individuals—179 passengers and 11 crew members, including Captain Devi Sharan, First Officer Rajinder Kumar, and Flight Engineer Anil Kumar Jaggia.

The hijackers rerouted the plane to several locations: Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai. In Dubai, 27 passengers were released, along with the body of a male hostage who had been stabbed multiple times. On 25 December, the aircraft was compelled to land at Kandahar in Afghanistan, which was then controlled by the Taliban. Taliban forces encircled the plane, blocking any external rescue attempts, accompanied by two officers from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence.

Negotiators sent by the Indian Government arrived on 27 December, led by Vivek Katju from the Ministry of Home Affairs, with officials Ajit Doval and C.D. Sahay among the team. Following discussions, India consented to release three incarcerated militants—Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, Masood Azhar, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar—in exchange for the hostages.

The ordeal concluded on 31 December when all passengers and crew were freed after the prisoners were handed over to the Taliban. Contrary to expectations in India, the freed militants were transported to the Pakistan border and released. These individuals have since been implicated in significant terrorist acts such as the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2002 abduction and murder of journalist Daniel Pearl, the 2016 Pathankot attack, and the 2019 Pulwama attack. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of India charged ten suspects connected to this event; seven remain fugitives, including all five hijackers. Only two accused were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. This hijacking incident was part of larger-scale attacks planned around the 2000 millennium attack plots involving terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was an Airbus A300B2-101 bearing registration VT-EDW and serial number 036, equipped with two General Electric CF6-50C engines. It carried a total of 190 people: 179 passengers plus 11 crew members, among them Captain Devi Sharan, First Officer Rajinder Kumar, and Flight Engineer Anil Kumar Jaggia. Notably among the passengers was Roberto Giori, then-owner of De La Rue Giori, a prominent firm specializing in currency printing.

Hijackers

Among those aboard were five individuals affiliated with Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM). The Indian Ministry of External Affairs identified them as Pakistani nationals Ibrahim Athar from Bahawalpur; Shahid Akhtar Sayeed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Mistry—all hailing from Karachi; and Shakir from Sukkur. They operated under code names Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar respectively.

HuM is a Pakistan-based Islamist militant organization that originated from a split with Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami in 1985. It briefly merged into Harkat-ul-Ansar before reverting back to HuM after being designated a terrorist group by the United States in 1997. Following arrests of its leaders in 1993, HuM engaged in attacks and kidnappings within India aimed at securing their release; these included killing Indian army personnel in 1994 as well as abducting Western tourists during 1994 and 1995.

Kathmandu functioned as a strategic hub for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) alongside other covert operations. Investigations uncovered that the hijacking was meticulously planned over a period exceeding two months involving multiple trips to Kathmandu. Initially scheduled for 27 December 1999, the operation was advanced to an earlier date. The hijackers acquired their tickets through three travel agencies using false identities; these bookings were modified on 13 December. Access to airport facilities was reportedly facilitated by underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim.

Hijacking

On 24 December 1999, the flight took off from Kathmandu bound for Delhi shortly after 16:00 hrs Indian Standard Time. Around 16:39 IST, while passengers and crew were being served refreshments, the aircraft entered Indian airspace. During this time, chief steward Anil Sharma was attending to the pilots when a masked individual armed with a revolver and a grenade demanded entry into the cockpit. The pilot was notified of the hijacking at 16:53 IST, and Delhi Air Traffic Control received the alert at 16:56 IST.

The hijackers instructed the captain to divert westward toward Pakistani air space. The Crisis Management Group (CMG), headed by union secretary Prabhat Kumar, was not summoned immediately; initially, neither the Intelligence Bureau nor the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were informed. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was traveling at that time, was briefed only after his arrival in Delhi and promptly convened an emergency meeting. According to reports, the hijackers confiscated served meals, segregated male passengers from women and children, blindfolded them, and used threats involving explosives to enforce compliance.

Landing at Amritsar

At 18:04 IST, Captain Sharan communicated to Indian ATC that fuel levels were dangerously low and that Pakistani ATC had refused landing clearance at Lahore. The hijackers threatened to kill ten hostages if their demands were not met and opposed landing on Indian soil. At 18:30 IST, the Indian High Commission in Pakistan requested permission for landing, which Pakistan denied. By 18:25 IST, the CMG had alerted the National Security Guard (NSG) to prepare for a potential rescue operation.

Due to dwindling fuel reserves, the hijackers eventually agreed to land at Amritsar airport. The aircraft began its descent at 18:44 IST with CMG being informed. Indian Home Minister L.K. Advani and Punjab DGP Sarabjeet Singh learned about the hijacking through media reports rather than official CMG communication. Singh directed the Amritsar Inspector General of Police to take command; since he was on leave, former IG J.P. Birdi was appointed instead.

NSG preparedness was delayed until government negotiators arrived at 19:10 IST. Upon touchdown, the captain requested urgent refueling; however, hijackers denied any interaction with local police forces. Witnesses recounted that during refueling delays, hijackers stabbed passengers Satnam Singh and Rupin Katyal. Captain Sharan repeatedly informed ATC that hijackers possessed Kalashnikov rifles and were killing hostages, urging rapid refueling efforts to prevent further fatalities. He expressed hope that intervention by Indian authorities would resolve the crisis without additional flight departures.

Take-off to Lahore

The CMG instructed law enforcement to prevent the aircraft from taking off under any circumstances, deploying armed Punjab Police personnel around it. While engines remained running on the runway, a refueling vehicle was dispatched and positioned adjacent to the plane. As the aircraft began taxiing, attempts were made to obstruct its movement but narrowly missed contact. National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra later revealed that a sniper had been concealed inside the bowser with orders to disable the plane if necessary. This tactic caused hijackers to suspect sabotage of refueling efforts and prompted them to command Captain Sharan to take off immediately, barely avoiding collision with the fuel tanker.

Eyewitness accounts described five passengers seated at the front with their hands bound as hijackers threatened additional executions should departure be delayed further. Despite lacking clearance, Captain Sharan elected to take off at 19:47 IST from Amritsar airport. The NSG left Delhi at 19:55 IST but arrived in Amritsar after the plane had already departed.

As they neared Lahore, Pakistani ATC refused landing permission and switched off all airport lighting and navigational aids to prevent a safe arrival. Running critically low on fuel, Captain Sharan warned of an imminent crash-landing on a highway. In this tense moment, Pakistani ATC reactivated navigational systems and allowed a safe landing at Allama Iqbal International Airport at 20:01 IST. India requested transportation for High Commissioner G. Parthasarathy from Islamabad to Lahore and urged Pakistani authorities to prevent any further departure attempts. Subsequently, runway lights were extinguished again and Pakistani security forces surrounded the aircraft.

Captain Sharan observed that hijackers intended to release some women and children but were prevented by Pakistani officials from doing so. Parthasarathy later stated his efforts to halt the plane’s departure were ignored and he experienced delays in transportation. By his arrival, the aircraft had been refueled and permitted to depart Lahore around 22:32 IST. Indian officials sought confirmation from Pakistan regarding reports of passenger casualties but did not receive any response.

Diversion to Dubai

Following takeoff from Lahore, the flight crew received instructions to proceed toward Kabul. However, the captain refused this due to the absence of facilities for night landings. With most Gulf countries having shut their airspace, the aircraft was compelled to touch down at Al Minhad Air Base in Dubai at 1:32 IST the following day. After negotiations, 27 passengers were released in exchange for refueling services; additionally, the body of the deceased passenger Katyal was removed from the plane. These freed passengers and Katyal’s remains were transported back to India on December 25.

Indian officials requested authorization to conduct a rescue mission, which Emirate authorities declined. Efforts to delay the aircraft’s departure included dispatching catering trucks, but the hijackers insisted on takeoff at 6:20 IST. Captain Sharan later reflected that he might have deliberately crashed the plane to prevent its departure but was restrained by concerns about fire hazards and lack of permission.

Landing in Kandahar and negotiations

The plane landed at Kandahar airport, then under Taliban control, at 8:33 IST. India’s absence of prior communication with the Taliban complicated negotiation efforts, prompting deployment of officials from its Islamabad high commission alongside United Nations mediators. Taliban forces surrounded the aircraft, raising apprehensions regarding their intentions; analysts interpret this as a deterrent against any Indian military intervention.

Between December 25 and 26, India deliberated over negotiation tactics while passengers endured limited facilities onboard. Home Minister Advani opposed releasing prisoners due to anticipated political repercussions, whereas External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh favored engaging in talks with the Taliban. On December 27, a negotiation delegation led by Vivek Katju, including Ajit Doval and C.D. Sahay, arrived on site.

Progress stalled as the Taliban refused Indian special forces access or to undertake their own rescue operation; tanks were positioned around the aircraft. Doval later disclosed that hijackers enjoyed active support from the ISI in Kandahar, which provided them security and complicated resolution attempts.

On December 27, Taliban representatives communicated that hijackers were expected either to surrender or leave Afghanistan, indicating readiness to detain them if compliant. Initially, hijackers demanded Masood Azhar’s release and threatened selective hostage releases; India rejected partial negotiations. Subsequent demands escalated to freeing 36 prisoners held in Indian jails, returning HuM founder Sajjad Afghani’s body, and receiving $200 million in cash. Afghani had died during a jailbreak attempt in 1999.

Prisoner release and end of the hijacking

Negotiations culminated with the demand narrowing to releasing three prisoners: Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh, and Mushtaq Zargar. Azhar had been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir in 1994 for terrorist-related offenses. Sheikh was implicated in HuA’s 1994 kidnappings of foreign nationals, while Zargar faced multiple murder charges and had been incarcerated since 1992. On December 30, RAW chief A. S. Dulat contacted Jammu and Kashmir’s then-chief minister Farooq Abdullah to arrange their release from state prisons. Despite Abdullah’s initial resistance due to potential long-term ramifications, he consented under pressure from central authorities. The trio was subsequently freed and flown to Kandahar.

By this point, all hostages had disembarked, and hijackers surrendered their weapons to Taliban forces. Passengers recalled that hijackers requested they express gratitude toward the Afghan government; funds were collected and entrusted to passenger Anuj Sharma to commission a commemorative piece for a Kandahar museum. India anticipated that the Taliban would detain both hijackers and released prisoners; however, the Taliban instead permitted them ten hours to exit Afghanistan, escorting them safely to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

Aftermath

In the wake of the hijacking, Indian Airlines halted all flights to Kathmandu, resuming operations five months later on 1 June 2000 with the original flight numbers. This reinstatement followed assurances from Nepal regarding improved airport security measures. Nepal committed to installing an extra X-ray scanner and permitted Indian security personnel to conduct final passenger screenings. Additionally, in January 2000, responsibility for airport security in India was transferred to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The aircraft involved in the hijacking was eventually returned to Indian Airlines and dismantled in December 2003.

Investigation and trial

On 29 December, Indian intelligence intercepted communications from Pakistan directing Mumbai resident Abdul Latif to notify a London-based news outlet that the hijackers would detonate the plane if their demands were not met. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed charges against ten individuals, including Latif, Dilip Kumar Bhujel, and Yusuf Nepali, a Nepalese national who aided the hijackers. Seven suspects, among them five hijackers, remained fugitives. While Nepal and the United Arab Emirates cooperated with investigative efforts, Pakistan declined assistance. The CBI requested extradition of Pakistani nationals through Interpol red corner notices; however, none were prosecuted.

The seized aircraft served as crucial evidence during legal proceedings, with a detailed model constructed for courtroom use. After nearly eight years of judicial process, a special court in Patiala sentenced three detained accused to life imprisonment on 5 February 2008. Subsequently, the CBI petitioned for capital punishment for Latif at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which in September 2012 upheld life sentences and acquitted two others on anti-hijacking charges, convicting them solely on arms-related offenses. The CBI then appealed to the Supreme Court.

On 13 September 2012, Jammu and Kashmir Police apprehended Mehrajuddin Dand for providing logistical assistance during the hijacking. Latif's request for parole was denied in 2015. Later, on 10 July 2020, a Mumbai sessions court acquitted Latif along with 18 others of passport forgery charges connected to the hijacking.

Domestic reaction

Family members of passengers staged protests and sought access to government briefings, urging officials to comply with hijackers' demands to ensure safe release of hostages. Initially, government statements claimed the aircraft was routinely cleaned and that passengers received adequate food, water, and entertainment; however, accounts from released hostages contradicted these claims.

The Indian press widely criticized government and intelligence agencies for their handling of the crisis, highlighting a delay exceeding one hour before informing the prime minister after the hijacking began. A parliamentary report from 2000 quoted External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh acknowledging that authorities were unaware the plane would land in Amritsar and had limited details about the hijackers and their weaponry. Singh emphasized that any intervention risked passenger safety since some captives had already been killed and noted attempts were made to prevent the plane’s departure from Amritsar. Singh faced media scrutiny for commending Taliban cooperation following hostage release.

An investigation by Firstpost revealed that then-RAW chief A. S. Dulat disclosed a RAW officer named Shashi Bhushan Singh Tomar was present on board during the hijacking. The report suggested that a plan to deploy the National Security Guard (NSG) was allegedly obstructed by N. K. Singh—then-prime minister’s secretary—whose sister was married to Tomar. Former RAW official R. K. Yadav stated Tomar dismissed early warnings about a hijack plot originating from Pakistan-based terrorists. The report implied Tomar’s presence on the aircraft contributed to operational shortcomings during the crisis.

Global Response

The hijacking received organizational backing from Al-Qaeda, under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, as part of the broader 2000 millennium attack plots orchestrated by terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda. The Government of the United States strongly denounced the hijacking and demanded the immediate release of all hostages. Although the U.S. had confronted Al-Qaeda following the 1998 embassy bombings in Africa, it escalated its campaign against the Taliban only after the September 11 attacks in 2001. In 2008, Jaswant Singh characterized the hijacking as a precursor to the 2001 attacks and criticized U.S. financial aid to Pakistan for lacking effective collaboration in combating those responsible.

At that time, the UAE was among three nations that officially recognized the Taliban regime and worked alongside Indian authorities to secure hostage freedom, yet took minimal measures to hinder the aircraft's departure. The Pakistani administration did not support efforts to end the hijacking; Indian officials alleged involvement by Pakistan’s ISI. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar accused India of fabricating the hijacking incident to tarnish Pakistan’s reputation.

India's Diplomatic Approach

Doval, who was part of the negotiation delegation, described the episode as a diplomatic setback resulting from the government’s failure to swiftly secure passenger release despite assistance from US and UAE counterparts. Since 1996, India had opposed the Taliban, suspecting them of training militants for operations in Kashmir. While the Taliban publicly condemned the hijacking, it refrained from offering active support to India and maintained certain shared interests with the ISI.

The government's compelled engagement in direct talks with the Taliban—whom India had not previously recognized—represented a diplomatic regression. Subsequently, India extended support to the Northern Alliance by providing logistical aid in their fight against Taliban forces. Ahmad Shah Massoud, leader of the Northern Alliance, visited India multiple times for strategic discussions. During the US military intervention in Afghanistan, India supplied intelligence concerning militant training camps.

Post-Release Activities of Hijackers

The trio of terrorists released following the hijacking were later implicated in several significant terrorist attacks including the 2001 assault on the Indian Parliament, the 2002 abduction and murder of journalist Daniel Pearl, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot attack, and the 2019 Pulwama attack. Azhar established Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in 2000, an organization responsible for numerous deadly assaults targeting Indian civilians and security forces. After his release, Sheikh joined JeM and was apprehended in 2002 for involvement in Pearl’s killing; he also contributed to planning the September 2001 attacks in the US. Zargar remained active in training militants within Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Amjad Farooqi, who had participated in Al-Faran’s 1995 kidnapping of Western tourists in Kashmir, took part in this hijacking under an assumed name. On 1 March 2022, hijacker Ibrahim Athar was killed in Karachi; he was held accountable for murdering passenger Rupin Katyal. On 7 May 2025, Abdul Rauf Azhar—alleged architect behind the hijacking—and Mohammad Yusuf Azhar were killed during an Indian Air Force strike on Bahawalpur as part of Operation Sindoor.

In popular culture

Captain Sharan was honored with the 1999 Safe Skies Award in recognition of his exceptional composure and bravery during a critical life-threatening event.

Books

The hijacking incident prompted several publications authored by crew members and officials involved:

• Flight into Fear – A Captain's Story (2000), co-written by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury
• IC 814 Hijacked! The Inside Story (2000), by flight engineer Anil Jaggia alongside Saurabh Shukla
• 173 Hours in Captivity (2000), authored by Neelesh Misra
• IA's Terror Trail (2020), penned by flight purser Anil Sharma with official Ajit Doval

Film and television

• Zameen (2003): A Bollywood production loosely inspired by the IC 814 hijacking and Operation Entebbe.
• Combatting Terror (2007): This National Geographic Channel documentary included the event in its "Air Hijack" episode.
• Hijack (2008): A Hindi movie directed by Kunal Shivdasani featuring Shiney Ahuja and Esha Deol, based on the hijacking.
• Kandahar (2010): A Malayalam film by Major Ravi drawing inspiration from the hijacking.
• Payanam (2011): Tamil cinema by Radha Mohan portraying a similar Indian Airlines hijacking scenario.
• Yodha (2024): A Hindi film that references the hijacking event.
• IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack (2024): A Netflix web series created by Anubhav Sinha depicting the incident.

See also

• List of hijackings involving Indian aircraft
• 1971 Indian Airlines hijacking
• Air India Flight 182

External links

• Images of the hijackers
• Passenger's account aboard IC-814 (Archived version)