Sarabjit Singh, the previous Director General of Police in Punjab, acknowledged the intense scenario he faced in December 1999 whilst a hijacked IC 814, Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu landed in Amritsar. Singh described his ongoing conversation with government in New Delhi all through the incident. He recalled, "Shooting will take area. And if taking pictures takes area, I cannot let you know how many will die".Flight IC 814 stayed on the floor in Amritsar for about forty five minutes earlier than setting out once more, sooner or later landing in Kandahar, in which it remained for several days as Indian officers negotiated with the terrorists for the hostages' release. The selection to permit the plane to leave from Amritsar turned into later considered as a sizeable failure by Indian authorities, because it soon entered adversarial territory.

In an interview with The Tribune, Sarabjit Singh found out that he first heard approximately the hijacking thru information reports. Though he changed into in Chandigarh at the time, he had a strong instinct and ordered  companies of commandos to be stationed at Amritsar airport as a precaution. He stated being in conversation with Shyamal Dutta, the then IB chief, and AS Dulat, the previous R&AW leader. Meanwhile, Jaswinder Singh, the then DIG Border, had arrived on the ATC tower at Amritsar airport and had hooked up touch with the flight captain, Devi Sharan. He stated, “My first reaction, when I turned into instructed that the plane had landed in Amritsar, before I could communicate to Delhi, turned into, ‘Don’t refuel’. Devi Sharan became stressing, ‘Please supply us gas, please give us gasoline’. In the intervening time, Delhi is telling me to do something, and I said, ‘Look, I even have  businesses obtainable, they’re armed with computerized guns, but we don’t have any equipment precise to hijacking. We don’t even have a ladder to reach the plane. Shooting will take place. And if shooting takes place, I can't inform you how many will die’.”

Sarabjit noted to Shyamal Dutta that floor forces have been not able to peer within the plane and had no manner of knowing what number of people is probably harmed if they tried to typhoon the cabin. In response, Dutta inquired whether or not the plane may be punctured. Sarabjit recalled finding the proposal amusing and explained that he had told Dutta it wasn't possible, as the plane's wheels were big, tubeless, and impervious to bullets, in contrast to a scooter tyre.Meanwhile, Jaswinder had managed to delay the refuelling procedure by way of informing Sarabjit that the bowser employees have been on a meal damage. Sarabjit added that Jaswinder had called for the bowser and, without informing him, had located two men near it to disable the wheels. Sarabjit expressed challenge that one of these motion should provoke a risky response from the hijackers inside the plane.

Throughout the incident, Sarabjit shared that Devi Sharan persistently pleaded for the plane to be refuelled. Sharan even knowledgeable the air visitors manage that the hijackers had killed a passenger. Sarabjit recalled Jaswinder relaying this message to him, to which he replied by means of asking if a frame have been thrown out. When Jaswinder stated no, Sarabjit remarked that he wouldn't consider the declare until a body turned into truly visible outside the aircraft.