History Revisited: Ex-Chief Justice Karki and Her Ties to a 1973 Plane Hijacking Saga

Sushila Karki, Nepal’s first female Chief Justice, has emerged as one of three names put forward by protestors to lead a proposed interim government in the politically turbulent Himalayan nation.

Karki is married to politician Durga Prasad Subedi, a former youth leader of the Nepali Congress, who was directly involved in one of the country’s most audacious political acts — a plane hijacking carried out more than five decades ago.

On June 10, 1973, Subedi, along with Nagendra Dhungel and Basanta Bhattarai, executed a hijacking operation masterminded by Girija Prasad Koirala, who would later serve as Nepal’s prime minister on four occasions. The objective was to raise funds for an armed struggle against the monarchy under King Mahendra.

The trio boarded a 19-seater aircraft in Biratnagar bound for Kathmandu, carrying ₹30 lakh in Indian currency destined for the capital. Among the passengers were Nepali actor CP Lohani and Indian film star Mala Sinha. Shortly after takeoff, the hijackers forced the pilot to divert the plane to Forbesganj, Bihar, where five accomplices were waiting. The group unloaded three boxes of cash before allowing the aircraft to resume its journey with passengers on board.

Following the operation, Subedi and his associates evaded capture for several months, hiding in different parts of India. Within a year, however, all members — except Dhungel — were arrested and later released on bail. They returned to Nepal shortly before the landmark 1980 referendum.