A web series on the hijacking of Indian Airlines plane IC 814 on December 24, 1999, has again raised some uncomfortable questions, the primary among them: Why did Punjab Police commandos not storm the hijacked plane that had landed at the Amritsar Airport for refuelling?A web series on the hijacking of Indian Airlines plane IC 814 on December 24, 1999, has again raised some uncomfortable questions, the primary among them: Why did Punjab Police commandos not storm the hijacked plane that had landed at the Amritsar Airport for refuelling?
‘I had immediately dispatched my men on hearing the news on the television. The Crisis Management Group (CMG) informed me much later,’ he recollected. ‘When IB Director Shyamal Datta called me, I told him we were ready but there would likely be heavy casualties.’ Defending his force, Sarabjit Singh says his men were raring to go, but they had no training in anti-hijacking operations. ‘All they had was AK-47 rifles; and no other equipment to enter the plane. We had no information about the number of hijackers, how to spot them, and most importantly, how to access the plane,” he said.
The Punjab Police was criticised for inaction, but Datta, too, had made it clear that there should be no casualties. It was a tough call. ‘The plane was obviously higher from the ground. The hijackers had vantage point. They also had the cover of passengers. I asked the CMG whom should we fire at?’ he said.
The former DGP said the plane was in Amritsar for only about 45 minutes that evening. ‘That, too, because we had delayed the refuelling. There was no oil tanker at the airport as no flight was due to land or take off. It took 35 minutes for it to get to the runway. Two commandos had taken position on the tanker, but the hijackers forced the pilot, Capt Devi Sharan, to take off,’ he said.