CHANDIGARH: The Union Internal Security Minister Rajesh Pilot guilty of misleading Parliament or has Punjab Police chief K.P.S.Gill made false claims on the hijack drama at Amritsar airport?

The versions of Pilot and Gill contradict each other, While Pilot informed Parliament that the identity of the hijacker was not yet ascertained, Gill had informed newspersons minutes after the storming Of the Indian Airlines aircraft that the man had been indemnified even before “he was overpowered and shot dead.”

Senior Superintendent of Police {Amritsar) Hardip Dhillon, who was coordinating the Operation, had interrupted Gill to remark, “The man had given his name as Sayeed Ibne Aseer, but we had found out his identity.”

The hijacker, H.M.Hizbi alias Mohammad Yusuf Shah alias Sayeed Ibne Aseer, it 1s reliably learned, had been interrogated at Srinagar by AK.Pandey, a CRPF officer now attached to Gill.

Again, while Pilot informed Parliament that the hijacker was shot with a silencer fitted pistol and later succumbed to injuries ‘on the runway, Gill had told reporters that “the NSG stormed the cockpit and in the scuffle that followed the man was shot dead.”

‘His reply to a question was Specific that the man was shot dead inside the aircraft’s cockpit. ‘When further asked why the passengers did not hear any sound of

Gunfire, Gill replied, “The passengers were in no position to know what was going on inside the cockpit.”

Almost every passenger silting in front spoke of seeing the man being dragged out of the cockpit, held by the collar.

Moreover, eyewitnesses who saw the body of Yusuf Shah the next morning said it bore multiple bullet injuries in the chest and face. This. Too, contradicts the version of both Pilot and Gill.

Officials who not wish to be quoted have reveal that the hijacker was not only killed in cold blood, but was also subjected to a brief interrogation before being shot dead.

Senior officials from various agencies, including military intelligence, National Security Guards, Kashmir cells of the intelligence agencies and some intelligence officials from Kashmir flown into Amritsar were witness to the interrogation which took place in the vicinity of the airport complex.

About 40 NSG men had gone inside the plane while the others formed the outer cordon. The security forces from the interrogation are aware of the identity of the two. Other militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen who were to accompany Yusuf Shah but changed their plan at the last minute.

It must, however, be mentioned that the operation was planned in Delhi and Gill was given specific instructions on how to proceed, with only little discretion left to him.

Article extracted from this publication >>  May 7, 1993