New Delhi: Twelve years after the fateful hijacking of the Kathmandu-New Delhi Indian Airlines flight IC-814 and the infamous release of notorious militants to free hostages, India has toughened its anti-hijacking policy but still remains vulnerable to such assaults.
The review started immediately after the end of the week-long hijack crisis Dec 31, 1999, which culminated with then external affairs minister Jaswant Singh flying to Kandahar with three hardcore Pakistani terrorists -- Maulana Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh and Mushtaq Zargar -- in exchange for the release of the hostages. But it took another six years for the Indian government to put in place an anti-hijack policy.
This policy, which lays down basic principles to deal with such situations, was made more stringent last year when the cabinet approved amendments of section 4 of the 1982 Act. The act provides for life imprisonment and a fine for hijacking, to also include the death penalty. The new policy permits the shooting down of a "hostile plane if there is conclusive evidence that it is likely to be used as a missile to blow up strategic establishments".
To avoid humiliating situations like the release of militants, the new policy categorically rules out negotiations with hijackers except for the purpose of bringing an end to the crisis, to ensure comfort of the hostages and to prevent the loss of lives.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has also put in place an aviation security manual that lists out a three-stage classification process for shooting down a hijacked aircraft.
23/12/11 IANS/Economic Times
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