Gurgaon, dec 24: The father of an Indian killed by terrorists who hijacked an Indian plane to Afghanistan on this day in 1999 wants the killers to hang — and wonders why it’s not happened to date.
“We wish the hijackers to be prosecuted in India and hanged under Indian law,” aforesaid an affective C.P. Katyal, who lives with his wife here in Haryana.
And Katyal feels that the Indian political class has failed him — and similar victims of terror attacks.
His son Rupin Katyal was one of the passengers of the Indian Airlines flight 814 that terrorists coupled to Pakistan hijacked dec 24, 1999 when it had started out from Kathmandu.
Rupin Katyal and his wife Rachna, who married only earlier that month, were returning from their honeymoon once the Pakistan-based militant cluster Harkat ul-Mujahideen took over the craft with 176 individuals on board.
With the then ruling Taliban providing logistic support, the plane was confined to the Kandahar airdrome wherever the young Katyal was dragged out and injured to death.
The Indian government finally freed 3 Pakistani terrorists to end the hijack drama. Katyal’s killers at large to Pakistan however Islamabad has repeatedly denied its involvement within the hijacking.
Fourteen years have gone since the brutal murder however the Indian government’s failure to act against the killers was chilling, aforesaid the 71-year-old Katyal.
Katyal says that one reason why terrorists keep attacking India — and Indian interests — is as a result of Indian leaders lack the desire to fight them.
“Our soldiers were decapitated and killed on the (Kashmir) border with none reason. however our government welcomes Pakistani leaders (to visit India),” Katyal told.
“I lost my only son however I refused to speak to (then Pakistan president) Pervez Mushrraf once he came to India because they (Pakistanis) are devious.
“I am a normal Indian however I even have the will to mention ‘no’ to injustice. Why cannot our rulers do that?” Katyal asked.
Katyal aforesaid the spectacular electoral showing by the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi showed that major political parties had did not prove that they very take care of people.
“Bill Clinton, the then US president, met me in india in April 2000 and assured me that the my son’s killers would be handed over to India however the world’s high power did not keep its commitment,” he added.
Rupin’s widow Rachna was adopted by the Katyals as their daughter and was married again when 2 years.
Rachna is now an assistant manager with Air India. Her husband works as a manager with a multinational company.