Today the story is about the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane that took off from Chandigarh to Jammu on August 24, 1984. There were about 100 people on board including the pilot-crew member. The plane had just taken off when some Sikh young hijackers waving sabers warned that the plane had been hijacked. It was 07:30 in the morning and a total of seven kidnappers had carried out the incident.
On August 24, 1984, an Indian Airlines plane was hijacked by hijackers aged between 18 and 20. It first entered the cockpit and then spoke of hijacking. Some of the seven hijackers were raising pro-Khalistan slogans. In the name of weapons, they had only needles used in kirpan and turban. Pilot VK Mehta, who was flying the aircraft, was asked to take the aircraft to Amritsar and circumambulate the Golden Temple.
The pilot agreed and made about two rounds but the hijackers said that the plane should be taken to Lahore. The plane reached Lahore but the Pakistani airport authorities did not give permission for the plane to land. It was 10 in the morning and the plane was running low on fuel. In such a situation, the pilot sent an emergency message and then Pakistan agreed. Here there was a plan for commando operation in the country, because the hijackers did not have modern weapons.
During this, India’s PM Indira Gandhi sent a message to the then President Zia-ul-Haq that he should not let the plane know outside Pakistan. But Ziaul Haq turned down Indira Gandhi’s request. Then officials of the Indian Embassy in Pakistan were ordered to reach the spot but by the time they arrived, the plane took off with fuel. Then the hijackers asked to take the plane to America.
The pilot told that this aircraft is for domestic flights. It cannot be taken to America. In such a situation, a hijacker pointed a gun at the pilot and asked to take the plane to Bahrain. Pilot Mehta was astonished that from where did the hijackers who were showing kirpans till a while back, get the gun from them? However, later a British national was told that an envelope was handed over to him by a Pakistani official at the Lahore airport.
After the pilot refused to go to Bahrain, the hijackers said take the plane to Dubai. The plane reached over Dubai but the authorities did not allow the landing. The plane kept spinning for a long time and then the pilot sent a message to ATC Dubai that have mercy on us, there is only 5 minutes of fuel left in the plane. Meanwhile, preparations were going on that if permission was not given, the plane would have to land in the sea itself.
However, after an emergency message, Dubai ATC opened the airport and the plane landed safely. After this, the then Defense Minister of the UAE, the then Ambassador of India to the UAE and other officials interacted with the hijackers. The kidnappers made the first demand that they should be considered as a condition of giving asylum in America, but America flatly refused. However, the kidnappers later surrendered unconditionally.