IC-814 survivor, who got shawl from hijacker, recounts ordeal: 'We didn't even know where we were'

Pooja Kataria was on the flight with her husband and was a part of a group of 26 newlywed couples returning from their honeymoon.

The recently released Netflix series "IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack" has drawn criticism for altering the names of the hijackers involved in the infamous 1999 Indian Airlines flight IC-814 hijacking. Amid the ongoing debate, a survivor of the hijacking, Pooja Kataria from Chandigarh, has come forward to recount her terrifying experience during the incident, shedding light on the trauma endured by the passengers on board.

Kataria, a Chandigarh resident, was on the ill-fated flight with her husband, part of a group of 26 newlywed couples returning from their honeymoon. Speaking to ANI, she recounted how the flight from Kathmandu was hijacked by five armed terrorists about 30 minutes after takeoff on 24 December 1999. The hijackers, who used codenames, seized control of the plane and held the passengers hostage for several days. Tragically, one passenger, Rupin Katyal, was killed during the ordeal.

Kataria recalled that one of the hijackers, using the alias ‘Burger’, displayed a friendlier attitude toward the passengers. In an attempt to keep them calm, he encouraged them to play the game Antakshari, while another hijacker, codenamed ‘Doctor’, gave speeches about converting to Islam. She recounted the overwhelming fear that gripped those on board, as they were forced to keep their heads down, with no idea of their location.

In a later interview with The Indian Express, Kataria described how she made a personal plea to the hijackers, telling them that her birthday was approaching and requesting her release. To her surprise, ‘Burger’ responded by gifting her the shawl he was wearing, saying it was a birthday present. She explained, "He came to me and said he would write on the shawl, though I was scared. He wrote, ‘To my dearest sister and her handsome husband… Burger 30/12/99.’ People mock me for this, but I’ve kept that shawl as a reminder of our second birth."

Addressing the controversy surrounding the Netflix series, Kataria expressed her confusion over the outrage, remarking that the series seemed to be for entertainment.

#WATCH | Chandigarh | Following Netflixs IC 814 controversy, Pooja Kataria, a survivor of the IC-814 Kandahar hijacking says, "There were 5 terrorists on board the aircraft. Half an hour after the flight took off the terrorists declared that the flight was hijacked. We were pic.twitter.com/r2EXgHm2bA
ANI (@ANI) September 4, 2024

The hijacking of IC-814 remains one of the most harrowing acts of terrorism in India’s history. After being forced to land in multiple locations, including Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai, the aircraft ultimately reached Kandahar, Afghanistan, where the hijackers negotiated with the Indian government. The standoff lasted for several days, with the hijackers demanding the release of three terrorists. The incident ended on 31 December 1999, when the Indian government agreed to release Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar in exchange for the hostages’ freedom.