Nepal’s New Prime Minister’s Husband Once Linked to a Plane Hijacking

Amid political turmoil and deadlock, Nepal’s former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has been sworn in as the country’s first-ever female Prime Minister, marking a historic moment. She was elected on Wednesday with the backing of the Gen-Z protest movement.

Karki previously served as Chief Justice from July 2016 to June 2017, earning distinction for her uncompromising stance against corruption and her strong commitment to judicial independence.

During her higher studies at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India, Karki met her future husband, Durga Prasad Subedi. Subedi was directly linked to Nepal’s first-ever aircraft hijacking case.

On 10 June 1973, a Royal Nepal Airlines flight travelling from Biratnagar to Kathmandu was hijacked by three armed men. The plane was forced to land in Forbesganj, India.

• Around 400,000 US dollars was looted from the flight.
• Allegations suggest that the stolen funds were used to finance the movement for the restoration of multi-party democracy in Nepal.
• Former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is rumoured to have had a role in orchestrating the hijacking.

Aftermath of the Hijacking

• The hijackers were later arrested but subsequently released on bail.
• They returned to Nepal ahead of the 1980 national referendum.
• All passengers were returned safely.
• The stolen money was reportedly moved to Darjeeling.

Sources: Hindustan Times , Times of India.