IC814 hijacking case: A controversy has arisen over the names and portrayal of characters in the web series IC 814, based on the hijacking of an Indian passenger plane in 1999. Several top officials of Netflix India were summoned by the central government for this series.
This series is based on a real life incident. In this news, we will tell you how this kidnapping was connected to Mumbai and how Mumbai Police was the first to give information about the hijacker terrorists.
Crime Branch got hold of terrorists’ phone number
Indian Airlines flight IC 814 was hijacked on 24 December 1999, just after it took off from Kathmandu airport. The entire country was put on high alert as soon as the authorities got the information. Former Maharashtra DGP D Sivanandhan has told in an article in the Indian Express newspaper how the Mumbai Police and Crime Branch found out the story behind the hijacking and the real names of the terrorists.
D Sivanandhan says, “At that time, I was posted as Joint Commissioner of Police in Mumbai Police and was heading the Mumbai Crime Branch. I was informed about the incident by my boss and Mumbai Police Commissioner, RH Mendonca and asked to put the entire crime branch on high alert.”
He further said, “The day after the plane hijack was Christmas Day. I was in my office at the Mumbai Police Headquarters in Crawford Market, when at around 11 am, a man came to meet me without any scheduled time. It was Maharashtra cadre IPS officer Hemant Karkare, who was then posted in the Mumbai office of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).”
After this, Hemant Karkare told D Sivanandhan that RAW had got hold of a phone number which was in constant contact between Mumbai and Pakistan and its links were connected to the IC 814 hijacking.
‘Terrorists asked for money from Pakistani handler’
D Sivanandhan’s team tracked that phone number for several days. After 3 days, the surveillance team monitoring the mobile number got an alert on their system that the phone was active. The Mumbai resident called his handler in Pakistan and told him that he did not have cash and needed money urgently. On the other side (Pakistan), the caller asked him to wait for 30 minutes. He said that he would call back.
After this, the crime branch started its work. From the phone conversation it was found that the terrorist living in Mumbai was reaching Shalimar Hotel on Mohammed Ali Road to meet a person to receive hawala money.
Police raid and arrest of terrorists
While returning from the hotel, the police kept an eye on him and followed him. As soon as his hideout in Bashirbagh, Mumbai was known, the police and crime branch raided there. A total of five terrorists were arrested in this. They have been identified as Rafiq Mohammed (34 years), Abdul Latif Adani Patel (34 years), Mushtaq Ahmed Azmi (45 years), Mohammad Asif alias Bablu (25 years), Gopal Singh Bahadur Maan (38 years).
Rafiq Mohammad and Mohammad Asif alias Bablu were Pakistanis. During the raid, a lot of arms and a map of Balasaheb Thackeray’s house ‘Matoshree’ were also found. After interrogation, it was found that the terrorists of Kandahar hijack had connections with the terrorists living in Mumbai.
During interrogation of Abdul Latif Patel, it was revealed that his entire team including the hijackers was hiding in Mumbai since July 1999 and was preparing for the hijacking. The hijackers were identified as Ibrahim Athar, resident of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Shahid Akhtar Karachi, Sunny Ahmed Qazi Karachi, Mistry Zahoor Ibrahim, Shakir Sindh. Mumbai Crime Branch was the first to find out this information, which led to the identification of the terrorists.
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