This article tells the story of Durga Prasad Subedi, the husband of Sushila Karki, who served as Nepal’s first female Chief Justice and later interim Prime Minister. Subedi, who was a student at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and a young Nepali Congress leader, was involved in a significant event: the hijacking of a Royal Nepal Airlines plane in 1973. Bollywood actress Mala Sinha was also a passenger on this flight.
Subedi and his two accomplices hijacked the plane on June 10, 1973, with 22 individuals on board. The hijacking was intended to protest against King Mahendra’s rule and raise funds for the Nepali Congress. The plane was carrying government funds worth 32 lakh rupees, which were being transported from Biratnagar’s banks in Nepal to Kathmandu. The hijackers directed the plane to land in Forbesganj, Bihar.
This was the first instance of a plane hijacking in Nepal. The plane landed in Forbesganj, where the boxes filled with cash were transported by road to Darjeeling. Nagendra Dhungel and Basant Bhattarai were the other hijackers. The plot was orchestrated by Girija Prasad Koirala and Sushil Koirala, who later became Prime Ministers of Nepal.
Following the hijacking, Subedi hid in Varanasi but was later arrested during the 1975 Emergency. He was held in jail for two years before being handed over to the Nepali authorities. The other hijackers were also found guilty and sent to prison, but they were released after the Emergency in India ended. Professor Deepak Malik, a retired professor from BHU and former director of the Gandhi Studies Institute, noted that Karki and Subedi met during their time at the university.
Sushila Karki, who is now 73 years old, also holds the distinction of being Nepal’s first female Chief Justice. She was born in Biratnagar, Nepal, on June 7, 1952. She became the Chief Justice of the Nepal Supreme Court on July 11, 2016, but her term was cut short by an impeachment motion that led to her suspension on April 30, 2017.
In a television interview, Karki identified herself as a friend of India and credited her time at BHU for this connection. Sushila Karki holds a positive view of the relationship between India and Nepal. She stated in an interview that she salutes Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and she added that she has a good opinion of him. She also stated that contact between the two nations should be maintained.