'IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack': Who was Rupin Katyal? 25-year-old newlywed murdered by terrorist

On December 24, 1999, an Indian Airlines flight, IC 814, was hijacked by a terrorist gang in Pakistan, leaving countless people horrified. The airplane had taken off from Kathmandu, Nepal, and was on its way to New Delhi, carrying more than 170 passengers who were held prisoner for more than a week. Even after 25 years, the passengers' and their families' hearts are still filled with pain and trauma. 

Anubhav Sinha revisited the tragic story of India's longest hijacked flight in his online series, IC814: The Kandahar Hijack. For those who don't know, when the real-life flight was hijacked, passengers had no idea what the terrorists had planned. They took the jet from city to city before landing in Kandahar. Only one passenger, Rupin Katyal, who was traveling with his recently married wife, was slain. 

Also read: 'IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack' controversy: Why are netizens demanding ban on Vijay Varma's series?

Rupin Katyal's death

All IC 814 passengers were instructed to get up and relocate to economy class. It was a terrible time, and ten passengers were instructed to shift to business class. The hijackers had planned to make the first ten people their targets during the hijack. Rupin Katyal was one of those asked to sit in the business class.  However, his wife, Rachna, remained in economy class with the rest of the passengers. A co-passenger, Kollattu Ravikumar, a merchant navy commander with the US-based Navitrek, said that one of the terrorists brutally murdered Rupin on the first day of the hijacking. In an interview with Rediff, he stated that Rupin must have defied the hijackers' command since he was looking for his recently married wife, Rachna. Another goal was to put pressure on and terrify the Indian government.

Rupin Katyal's wife unknown to his husband's death

Rupin's body was deplaned after the hijacked plane arrived in Dubai and according to the FIR report, Rupin's body had one stab wound in the abdomen, four on the chest, two on the neck, and six on the face. Rachna Katyal, who was only 21 years old at the time, had no idea of her husband's untimely demise. The terrorist acted as if her husband, Rupin, were alive. 

• Rupin Katyal
• IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack