Government reviews anti-hijacking measures

Delhi lived through some tense moments last Sunday after the alleged hijack drama of an Indigo flight. But the incident seems to have completely shaken up the government who's reviewing every possible anti-hijacking measure.
While the Cabinet Secretary is reviewing whether or not the anti-hijack measures worked last Sunday, a group of ministers are looking at the laws to deal with a hijack situation.
Should a hijacker be awarded the death penalty? A group of ministers headed by Law Minister Hansraj Bhardwaj will examine this question on Tuesday. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal are the other two ministers who are in the GOM.
The government is clearly worried after last Sunday's hijack drama of an Indigo flight. Now, it wants to examine an earlier proposal of having a more stringent law to deter a real hijack situation.
According to the note of the Aviation Ministry, capital punishment should be awarded to anyone who hijacks a plane.
Grounds for capital punishment - for terrorist and disruptive activities; if the hijacker intends to or kills passengers; or if the hijacker plans to use an aircraft as a missile but doesn't succeed.
However, such strict provisions should not be applied to a person who is mentally unstable, like Jeetender Mohalla, the unruly passenger on-board the Indigo flight last Sunday, or someone who hijacks an aircraft to highlight a cause but does not intend to kill anyone.
07/02/09 Sandeep Phukan/NDTV.com

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Feb 2009, Safety Feb 2009