Kandahar Hijack Unveiled: Ajit Doval’s Desperate Calls and the High-Stakes Deal
According to AS Dulat, the former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Doval’s actions during the crisis revealed how intense the situation was.
In the Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, which dramatizes the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814, significant details about the intense negotiations emerge. The series highlights the crucial role played by Ajit Doval, who was tasked with negotiating with the hijackers. According to AS Dulat, the former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Doval’s actions during the crisis revealed how intense the situation was.
On December 24, 1999, as Flight IC 814 from Kathmandu to New Delhi entered Indian airspace, masked terrorists hijacked the plane. They demanded that Captain Devi Sharan fly the aircraft to Lahore. When the captain indicated that there was insufficient fuel to reach Lahore, the hijackers agreed to land in Amritsar for refueling. However, the situation quickly escalated, leading the plane to be flown to Lahore, then Dubai, and finally to Kandahar.
The Taliban, who were in power in Afghanistan at the time, had no established dealings with India, complicating the situation further. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) decided to send a team to Kandahar to handle the negotiations. The team included Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra, and others with experience in Afghanistan, such as CD Sahay and Anand Arni. The team faced immense pressure from the hijackers, who were demanding the release of terrorists including Masood Azhar.
In his memoir A Life in The Shadows, Dulat recounts a phone call from Doval that highlighted the desperation and pressure faced by the negotiating team. Doval expressed concern about the worsening situation and urged for a quick resolution. This moment was shocking for Dulat, who found it hard to believe that someone as experienced as Doval was losing hope.
The decision to release the terrorists, including Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Sheikh, and others, was fraught with controversy. The Indian government, under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, ultimately agreed to the demands to ensure the safety of the 160 passengers. Former Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh personally escorted the terrorists to Kandahar, leading to the successful resolution of the hijacking.
The series and Dulat’s memoir offer a gripping look into the high-stakes negotiations and the difficult decisions made during one of the most challenging crises in Indian aviation history.
