Canada deports '84 IA hijacker to India

Toronto: Canada on Tuesday deported the mastermind of the 1984 Indian Airline hijacker to India.
Parminder Singh Saini, 46, who took refuge in Toronto 15 years ago and faced deportation to India, was put on the plane back to India earlier on Tuesday, officials said. Saini was escorted by officials of the Canadian Border Security Agency to Toronto airport to board a flight for India.
It was not known on which airline flight he was put on his one-way journey to India.
Saini was the leader of five Sikh militants who hijacked an Indian Airlines flight from Srinagar to Delhi on July 6, 1984, with 255 passengers on board and took it to Lahore. The hijack drama ended after a 17-hour stand-off, with the hijackers surrendering to the Pakistani authorities.
After a trial in Pakistan, Saini was sentenced to death by a Lahore court.But the death sentence was commuted to life term. He was released after 10 years and asked to leave Pakistan.
In 1995, Saini entered Canada illegally under the name of Balbir Singh with a fake Afghan passport arranged by the Pakistanis. He maintained that he lied about his identity for fear of being deported to India.
27/01/10 IANS/IBNLive

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Categories: Air India Domestic Jan 2010, Foreign Jan 2010, NACIL Jan 2010, Safety Jan 2010