'If I had my way, I would have strangled him': Ex-DIG who escorted Masood Azhar to Jammu airport speaks on Netflix's IC 814

Netflix's new web series "IC-814," based on the infamous 1999 Kandahar plane hijacking, has sparked controversy and criticism related to the names of the hijackers. Amidst this, SP Vaidya, the former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Jammu and Kashmir, shared his experience of handling the release of Masood Azhar during an interview with Aaj Tak.

Vaidya recalled being ordered to go to Kot Bhalwal Jail, where Masood Azhar was imprisoned, and arrange for his release and transport to Jammu Technical Airport. Reflecting on that moment, Vaidya expressed deep regret, saying, "If I had my way, I would have strangled him and killed him. My blood was boiling at that time."

Vaidya described how Masood Azhar was brought out of the jail with his face covered to avoid media attention. Despite having been ordered to release Azhar, Vaidya was dissatisfied that he was merely carrying out his duty as an officer. "I had to hand him over to the Foreign Ministry officials. It was one of the saddest days of my life," Vaidya said, visibly disappointed. He also mentioned how releasing Azhar felt like a huge failure and embarrassment for the country.

"I ordered the soldiers to cover his face with a monkey cap. Masood Azhar refused. I scolded him and forced him to kneel down and forced him to wear a monkey cap. National and international media was standing outside the jail. Masood Azhar's body language was arrogant. We covered his face and took him to Technical Airport Jammu. If I had my way, I would not have let him go alive. I would have strangled him and killed him. But I was an officer bound by duty, I had to hand him over to the Foreign Ministry officials at Jammu Technical Airport. I was very sad that day. We should not have let him go," he said in the interview.

Vaidya further revealed that before the hijacking, there had been multiple attempts to free Masood Azhar from jail. One such attempt involved a group of seven terrorists plotting to attack Kot Bhalwal Jail to facilitate Azhar's escape. Vaidya and his team, however, were able to thwart the attack, killing the terrorists involved. In another instance, a tunnel was dug inside the jail to help Azhar escape, but that plan was also uncovered and foiled.

Vaidya criticized the presence of corrupt people within the system, suggesting that some insiders might have been colluding with terrorists. "There are people in the system who can sell the country," he remarked.

Vaidya also blamed bureaucratic incompetence for the mismanagement of the IC-814 crisis, arguing that the situation was mishandled, leading to a significant embarrassment for the nation.

The government has summoned the content head of OTT platform Netflix over the series 'IC-814 -- The Kandahar Hijack', which has triggered a row over depiction of hijackers. Official sources said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has summoned the content head of Netflix India on Tuesday, seeking an explanation on the allegedly contentious aspects of the OTT series. The Ministry has asked Netflix why the real names of the hijackers were not used consistently and why the terrorists were portrayed as strong while the Indian officials appeared weak.

The depiction of hijackers of the Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Delhi has kicked off a row with a section of viewers objecting to the 'humane' projection of the perpetrators.

The hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 took place on December 24, 1999. The flight, en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, was hijacked by five armed terrorists. The plane was forced to land in Kandahar, Afghanistan, then under Taliban control. The hijackers demanded the release of several terrorists, including Maulana Masood Azhar, from Indian jails in exchange for the passengers' safety. The Indian government eventually agreed to the demands, releasing Masood Azhar on December 31, 1999, after seven days of negotiations.