Ever since Netflix has started streaming the multi-starrer miniseries IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack based on the rescue of 176 people aboard the Indian Airlines IC814 plane hijacked by militants, this 25-year-old infamous incident has generated a lot of curiosity among ordinary citizens.
The Netflix series depicts the role of an officer named ‘DRS’ who was involved in the hectic negotiations with the Taliban. Played by Arvind Swami on screen, ‘DRS’, is real life, is former Indian ambassador Vivek Katju, who was then posted as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
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Vivek Katju was the leader of the Indian official delegation who had gone to Kandahar to negotiate with the hijackers. Notably, this team also included Ajit Doval, a senior officer of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Katju had contacted Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, who was then the foreign minister of the Taliban government.
According to reports, Katju’s persistent efforts led the Taliban government to force the hijackers to withdraw their demand for $200 million (about Rs 860 crore) and the body of terrorist Sajjad Afghani. Sajjad Afghani was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu in June that year.
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Reports suggest that this weakened the morale of the hijackers and they finally backed down from this demand. However, they were persistent with the release of terrorists Masood Azhar, Mustaq Ahmed Zargar and Omar Sheikh.
Though ‘DRS’ has been portrayed as an officer from South India in the Netflix series, Vivek Katju was of Kashmiri origin. He is the grandson of Kailash Nath Katju who had served as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and the Governor of Odisha (then Orissa) and West Bengal. Kailash Nath Katju also held the portfolios of Union Home Minister and Defense Minister.
Former diplomat Vivek Katju is the cousin of former Supreme Court judge (Retired) Justice Markandey Katju, who has also served as the chairperson of the Press Council of India. Vivek Katju is also related to Tilottama Mukherji, who is a professor at New York University. Tilottoma Mukherji was earlier married to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
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