Sushila Karki, the former chief justice who was known for her anti-corruption drive, has made history by being sworn in as Nepal’s first woman Prime Minister. She was appointed during a time of great political upheaval after the resignation of KP Sharma Oli and was viewed as a figure of unity to preside over a caretaker government.
Her ascension to the country’s highest office has renewed attention on a stunning episode of Nepal’s political history: the hijacking in 1973 of an airplane by her husband, Durga Prasad Subedi.
Hijacking For Revolution
More than fifty years ago, on June 10, 1973, Durga Prasad Subedi, then a youth leader of the Nepali Congress, led a three-man team in the country’s first and only plane hijacking. The target was a Royal Nepal Airlines flight from Biratnagar to Kathmandu. The motive, as detailed in Subedi’s memoir Biman Bidroha (Plane Rebellion), was to seize funds for an “armed struggle” to overthrow the monarchy under King Mahendra and restore multi-party democracy.
The hijack was reportedly planned by Girija Prasad Koirala, who would go on to become Nepal’s Prime Minister four times. Included in the hijacked aircraft was a well-known celebrity passenger: Bollywood actress Mala Sinha.
The Heist In Bihar
As reported by The New York Times in 1973, the hijackers, who were carrying a pistol, had compelled the pilot to land the twin-engine aircraft in a Forbesganj, Bihar field. They made off with about $400,000 (four million Nepalese rupees) of the state bank’s money, which was being carried on the flight.
After offloading the money, the aircraft proceeded with the rest of the passengers intact. The hijackers and co-conspirators were subsequently apprehended by Indian police, with Subedi completing a two-year prison sentence before retiring to Nepal.
From Jurist To Prime Minister
Sushila Karki, 73, is known for judicial independence and zero tolerance for corruption, which she developed during her groundbreaking tenure as Nepal’s first woman Chief Justice from 2016 to 2017. Her appointment to head the interim government was said to have been a consensus choice supported by a coalition of political parties and the youth-led “Gen Z” protest movement.
An alumna of India’s Banaras Hindu University, where she met her husband, Karki’s journey from a principled jurist to the head of government is seen by many as a symbol of hope for a nation grappling with instability and a demand for a transparent and accountable leadership.
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