IC 814 Hijacking: What You Need to Know About Rachna Katyal’s Desperate Fight After Terrorists Separated and Killed Her Husband, Rupin Katyal, on the Plane.
Who could have imagined that a hijacking from nearly 25 years ago would spark controversy in 2024? That’s precisely what happened with IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, a film directed by Anubhav Sinha for Netflix, now facing criticism from multiple fronts. The movie retells the harrowing story of the 1999 hijacking of a Kathmandu-Delhi flight that was diverted to Taliban-ruled Kandahar, with militants demanding the release of imprisoned terrorists in India. Among the many lives affected was that of Rachna Katyal, a newlywed whose honeymoon with her 25-year-old businessman husband, Rupin Katyal, turned into a nightmare when the Indian Airlines flight was taken hostage. The tragic events forever changed her life.
Rachna, just 21 years old at the time, was sitting beside her husband Rupin when their flight was hijacked by terrorists. The hijackers, pursuing a sinister agenda, demanded the release of three militants imprisoned in India, threatening to kill passengers if their demands were not met. The young couple, who had just started their married life, suddenly found themselves in a life-or-death situation, clinging to each other in fear and desperation. Tragically, Rupin Katyal was murdered by one of the terrorists, leaving Rachna’s world shattered and plunging her into the darkest moments of her life.
What had exactly happened on IC 814?
On the first day of the IC 814 hijacking, the terrorists forcibly separated the men from the women aboard the flight, tearing Rupin away from Rachna’s side. This separation was tragically the last time Rachna saw her husband alive. The terrorists, in a brutal act, murdered Rupin, leaving Rachna unaware of the horrifying fate that had befallen him. When the truth finally reached her, it shattered her world, leaving her to confront a devastating loss and deep trauma.
According to Money Control, Rachna revealed her in-laws supported her during this tough phase and motivated her to live with a purpose in life. She said in an interview, “Today they are dearer to me than anyone else and we have, in a way, come closer because of the immense tragedy we have shared. Our grief cannot be assuaged. My in-laws have accepted the fact that their son is no more and they have now devoted their life to my welfare. They say, ‘All we have is Rachna and she is our daughter now and we have to rebuild her life’.”
Rachna’s father-in-law Chander Mohan Katyal persuaded her to consider remarrying, giving herself a second chance at happiness. Rachna acknowledged his wisdom, saying, “It was my father-in-law who realised I couldn’t spend the rest of my life in mourning and encouraged me to move forward.”
