As the world was ushering in the new millennium, India faced a nightmarish ordeal. While the Y2K bug was a global concern, the country was grappling with the aftermath of the IC 814 hijacking. Over eight tense days, 154 passengers and crew members were held hostage while hijackers demanded the release of three prominent militants. Tragically, the ordeal resulted in the death of one passenger: Rupin Katyal. His story, featured in the Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, sheds light on the harrowing events of that fateful time.
Rupin Katyal, a passenger on IC 814, was returning to India from Kathmandu after a honeymoon with his wife, Rachna. What was meant to be a joyful return turned into a horrific ordeal. On the first day of the hijacking, Rupin was fatally attacked by the hijackers. He was among ten passengers taken to the business class section of the plane, where he was brutally stabbed to death. His remains were offloaded in Dubai, a brief stop mandated by the hijackers.
According to an FIR report cited by Rediff, Rupin’s injuries were severe. He sustained multiple stab wounds: one in the abdomen, four in the chest, two in the neck—one of which severed his jugular vein—six in the face, and an abrasion on his nose.
During the hijack, Rachna was unaware of her husband’s death. It was only upon her release that she learned the grim truth. Her father-in-law had shielded her from the news, falsely informing her that Rupin was hospitalized. It wasn’t until Rachna repeatedly inquired about her husband that her father-in-law broke the news. “I think I was becoming hysterical so my father-in-law finally pointed to a large photograph of Rupen and brokenly told me, ‘That is your Rupen. That is all that we have of him,’” she recalled. Following Rupin’s death, his father provided support to Rachna and encouraged her to seek employment.
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack is now available for streaming on Netflix, offering a detailed look into the tragic events that unfolded during the hijacking.
