Indian Airlines Flight 405
On 5 July 1984, nine hijackers forced Indian Airlines Flight 405, an Airbus A300 on a domestic flight from Srinagar Airport to the Delhi-Palam Airport with 254 passengers and 10 crew on board, to be flown to Lahore Airport in Pakistan.[1]
 An Indian Airlines A300, similar to the aircraft involved in the hijack | |
| Hijacking | |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 July 1984 |
| Summary | Terrorist hijacking |
| Site | Lahore Airport, Punjab, Pakistan 31°31′17″N 74°24′12″E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A300 |
| Operator | Indian Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | IC405 |
| ICAO flight No. | IAC405 |
| Flight origin | Srinagar Airport |
| Destination | Palam Airport |
| Occupants | 264 (including 9 hijackers) |
| Passengers | 254 |
| Crew | 10 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
The hijackers were armed with guns, daggers and a fake bomb. Their demands included the release of prisoners (all Sikhs arrested during Operation Blue Star), US$25 million for damage done during the Operation, and the return of items alleged to be stolen from the Golden Temple during the Operation. The demands of the hijackers were not met and they ultimately surrendered to Pakistani authorities on July 6.[1][2]
The Press Trust of India quoted the hijackers as saying "Long Live Khalistan".[3] It was related to the secessionist struggle in the Indian state of Punjab, where Khalistani separatists were active. They demanded a separate country for Sikhs.[2] The Khalistan movement was a separatist movement in Indian Punjab and the United Kingdom where a small portion of the Sikh community openly asked for a different country for Sikhs (Khalistan)[4] after the Golden Temple was stormed by the Indian army.[5]
Hijackers
Parminder Singh Saini
Parminder Singh Saini immigrated to Canada under a false name (Balbir Singh). He is said to have links with radical fanatic Sikh separatist terrorist movement in Indian state of Punjab. He fought deportation when his true identity was discovered, and stayed in Canada for 15 years, earning a law degree before he was deported in 2010. He hijacked an Indian Airlines plane that was flying from Srinagar to New Delhi, forcing it to reroute to Lahore in 1984. At trial in Pakistan, he was sentenced to death in a trial, but released after ten years' imprisonment.[6][7]
After entering and completing his law school education in Canada, Saini sought admission to practice as a lawyer. The application was refused, in part because of the serious and heinous nature of Saini's crime, but also because of a lack of candour on his part.[8]
After his deportation to India on charges of being involved in terrorist activities in 2010, Saini sought to return to Canada in 2011. His most recent application to the Federal Court was denied as well.[9]
See also
References
- Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A300 registration unknown Lahore Airport (LHE)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- Stevens, William K. (6 July 1984). "Indian Jet Carrying 264 Hijacked to Pakistan, Reportedly by Sikhs". New York Times. p. A2. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
- "Sikh extremists hijacked an Indian Airlines plane with 264". 1984. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
- Kiessling, Hein (2016). Faith, Unity, Discipline: The Inter-Service-Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781849048637. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
- "Why 1984 Golden Temple raid still rankles for Sikhs". BBC News. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- Canada deports convicted Indian hijacker. National Post.
- 1984 IA plane hijacker seeks nod to practise law in Canada. Times of India.
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- Terrorist Barred From Practising. 35 January 2010. Lawtimes.
- 23 February 2011. Toronto Sun.