Amritsar Feb 22 (ANI): The Sikh hijackers of the Indian Airliners in 1981 and 1984, who have taken refuge in Switzerland, may soon be deported to India.

The Switzerland Government had asked them to leave the country by February 22, failing to which they may be deported to their native country.

Harminder Singh Khalsa and Dalip Singh involved in the 1984 hijacking case and Master Karan Singh and Jasvir Singh allegedly involved in the 1981 hijacking case were asked to leave Switzerland with their families.

Talking to ANI Master Karan Singh and Harminder Singh said that they would appeal to the Human rights organizations to interfere into their cases.

The Hijackers says that if they would be deported to India they might face threat to their lives.

Nine Sikhs belonging to the Sikh Students Federation hijacked an Indian Airliner from Jammu to Lahore in 1984. The hijackers were: Parminder Singh, Dalip Singh, Manjit Singh Babbar, Gurdip Singh Pardesi, Malaghar Singh Babbar, Harbhajan Singh, Harminder Singh, Gurvinder Singh and Ravinder Singh.

On January 20, 1986, three of them were sentenced to death, two were sentenced to life-imprisonment and four were acquitted.

Later in 1989 the death sentence was commuted to life-imprisonment under the orders of a general amnesty. Two of the four acquitted Manjit Singh Babbar and Malaghar Singh Babbar were killed in an encounter with Indian security forces.

Master Karan Singh and Jasvir Singh were amongst the five who hijacked an Indian Airliner from Delhi - Srinager flight to Lahore. (ANI)