The release of IC184: The Kandahar Hijack, starring Vijay Varma, has sparked widespread interest as it recounts the brutal incident from India's defense history. The film has revived discussions among Indian officials who were part of the negotiations. The series also stars Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Anupam Tripathi, Kanwaljeet Singh, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Sushant Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Rajeev Thakur, Arvind Swami, Dia Mirza, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Kumud Mishra, Yashpal Sharma and Manoj Pahwa in prominent roles.
In an interview, A.S. Dulat, who was the chief of R&AW during the crisis, revealed details about the high-profile 'ghost passenger' whose identity remained confidential. The series also portrays a high-profile passenger aboard the plane, suggesting that if the terrorists had known this individual's identity, it could have shifted the balance of power in their favour.
Dulat disclosed to Barkha Dutt that the 'ghost passenger' was Shashi Bhushan Singh Tomar, who was the R&AW station chief in Kathmandu at the time. He was reportedly seated in 16C. Dulat added that Tomar had two influential brothers-in-law: NK Singh from the PMO and the head of the NSG. "NK Singh, we were both in the PMO, was certainly concerned. But that concern was only exhibited to me. He would ask me now and then, what was happening. I understood why he was worried; it was his sister’s husband. But at that point in time, let me tell you, when the plane was in Amritsar, nobody in the government knew that there was an R&AW officer on board that flight. I knew, but nobody else did. I didn’t tell anybody. There was no need to tell anybody, there was no need to advertise it."
"Gradually, it became known. NK’s stress and tension… It became known. But it was known to very few people. We didn’t want to advertise it. The ISI and Taliban didn’t know at all, otherwise that poor fellow might have been beheaded. Nobody knew. Till Tomar came back to Delhi, nobody knew. And that is the reason we never spoke about it and never advertised it. His life would’ve been in jeopardy… He would’ve been blindfolded, a knife kept to his neck, and they would’ve said, ‘Now talk’," A.S. Dulat added.
Dulat noted that Indian negotiators were also unaware of Tomar’s identity. He recalled meeting Tomar upon his return to Delhi, expressing his apologies and asking about his well-being. Tomar responded by saying, "I just sat quietly, and I didn’t look those guys in the eye at all."
About IC814 Kandahar Hijack
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack depicts the real-life event of December 24, 1999, when Indian Airlines Flight 814, en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, was hijacked by five masked men. The flight was diverted to Kandahar, Afghanistan, which was then under Taliban control, after several stops.