lmost 13 years after the Indian Airlines flight IC-814 returning from Nepal to India was hijacked in Kathmandu, it is revealed that the Indian government had prior knowledge of the hijack and could have possibly averted it, but it chose to ignore it. According to a RTI filed by a Delhi activist, a Shillong-based businessman Uma Shankar Mishra had written a letter to the Chief Secretary of Meghalaya on 29 September 1999, 84 days before the hijack, informing the state government about the "plan to hijack aeroplane from Kathmandu, Nepal." Mishra was tipped about the plan by a former ISI agent Ibrahim Hussain.

A copy of Mishra's letter is with this newspaper.

Mishra in his letter had informed the government that a group of people from Pakistan along with the alleged help of some officers of the CBI, police and other personnel from the state are planning to hijack an Indian plane from Kathmandu. It said that they planned to make it a success within two-three months' time.

Mishra had learnt of the conspiracy from Hussain, a small-time businessman who ran the Taj Laundry on Jail Road in Shillong. Hussain indicated that he had been co-opted as an ISI agent but later fell out with his handlers who were hatching the plan.

Mishra stumbled upon Hussain in his search for the members of a group who he alleges had killed his brother and sister-in-law. "My brother Markandey Mishra was in the army and was allegedly involved in some illegal activities with this group. I was looking for the members of this group to find out about my brother when I happened to meet Hussain," said Mishra.

He added that Hussain had full knowledge and details of the conspiracy as he was part of the planning of the hijack.

Hussain was found dead in mysterious circumstances in August 2000.

"He told me that the conspiracy was being hatched in Bangladesh by Pakistani terrorists and the hijack would be carried out in Kathmandu. I warned the Meghalaya government of the conspiracy as soon as I learnt about it, and sent copies of it to the CBI and the Home Ministry as well. But till today I have not received any communication from them," said Mishra.

Strangely 84 days after the letter was submitted, the Indian Airlines plane was actually hijacked by terrorists.

However, the government has still not taken note of the letter, but Opposition parties like the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are raising questions on the issue after the media exposed the letter on Friday.

With inputs from Vatsala Shrangi