Widespread attention has been aroused by the publication of IC184: The Kandahar Hijack, which stars Vijay Varma and describes the horrific episode from India’s military history. Among the Indian officials who participated in the talks, the movie has reignited conversations. Together with Naseeruddin Shah, these actors and actresses play important parts in the series: Kanwaljeet Singh, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Sushant Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Rajeev Thakur, Arvind Swami, Dia Mirza, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Kumud Mishra, Yashpal Sharma, and Manoj Pahwa.

The high-profile “ghost passenger,” whose name was kept secret, was described in detail by AS Dulat, the head of R&AW during the crisis, in an interview. The show also features a well-known passenger on the aircraft, implying that the terrorists may have gained more leverage if they had been aware of this person’s name.

Dulat revealed to Barkha Dutt that the ‘ghost passenger’ was none other than Shashi Bhushan Singh Tomar, the R&AW station head in Kathmandu at that period. It was said that he was sitting in 16C. Dulat went on to say that Tomar had two powerful brothers-in-law: the head of the NSG and NK Singh from the PMO. “NK Singh, with whom I shared the PMO, was undoubtedly worried. However, that worry was limited to myself. Every now and again, he would inquire about my situation. Given that it was his sister’s spouse, I could see why he was concerned. However, let me tell you that no one in the government was aware that there was an R&AW official on board the aircraft at the time the plane was in Amritsar. No one else knew, but I did. I kept it a secret. There was no need to publicize it or inform anybody about it.”

“Eventually, word got out. The strain and anxiety of NK It was made public. However, not many individuals were aware of it. We had no desire to promote it. Otherwise, the unfortunate man may have been executed. The ISI and Taliban were completely unaware of this. No one was aware. Not until Tomar returned to Delhi did anybody know. And for that reason, we never discussed it or made any kind of advertisement for it. It would have been dangerous for his life. “They would have placed a knife around his neck, blindfolded him, and said, ‘Now talk,'” Dulat said.

Dulat pointed out that Tomar’s identity was unknown to the Indian negotiators as well. He remembered seeing Tomar when he got back to Delhi, saying sorry and inquiring after his welfare. “I just sat quietly, and I didn’t look those guys in the eye at all,” Tomar retorted.

About the Kandahar Hijack, IC814

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack is a fictional account of the actual December 24, 1999, hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 by five masked men as it was traveling from Kathmandu to Delhi. After many stops, the plane was rerouted to Taliban-controlled Kandahar, Afghanistan.