Onlykashmir.in News Desk
NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to investigate the mid-air cockpit attack on Captain Smit Machchhar aboard a flydubai flight last month. The case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, a signal of how seriously the agency is treating an incident with both national and international ramifications.
Captain Machchhar, who hails from Gujarat, was stabbed and seriously injured by his co-pilot in the cockpit on September 30 while the aircraft was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The flight, FZ1073, was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, along with its crew. Reports say the aircraft dived rapidly and turned back into S
audi airspace near the Jordan-Saudi Arabia border as the confrontation unfolded. The captain suffered deep cuts to the head and hands.
Passengers and crew then overpowered the first officer and restrained him. Other flydubai pilots on board took control and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia, where Saudi authorities arrested the first officer. Had the cockpit remained in the hands of the attacker, the outcome for those aboard could have been very different.
The investigation has since widened. On October 9, the UAE attorney general said investigators believed the first officer had planned to crash the aircraft into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. Investigators are also examining his preparations and possible extremist motivations. Indian officials have said the NIA case, registered on the Centre’s direction, aims to uncover any larger conspiracy behind the attack. The agency’s inquiry will look at the circumstances of the assault on the captain and the alleged attempt to seize the aircraft.
Leaders across the world have praised the bravery of Captain Machchhar, who saved the lives of passengers despite his injuries. His composure under attack has drawn particular admiration in aviation circles, where the safety of the cockpit is regarded as the final line of defence for everyone on board.
By invoking anti-hijacking and anti-terror laws, the NIA has given the case the legal weight reserved for serious offences against civil aviation. The registration of the case means Indian investigators can now pursue evidence and examine any links that may fall within their jurisdiction, while UAE authorities continue to lead the broader inquiry into the alleged attempt.
