Hijacking for Democracy
Chapter 1
This amazing and unique story is about the first hijack that happened in the history of Nepal in the year 1973. Plane hijacks reported elsewhere are carried out to release convicts or seek monetary benefits, but this was hijacking for democracy.
The plane was hijacked to steal three boxes that were present in the plane’s cargo during the period of its flight. The boxes had to be stolen in midair after the plane took off and before it could reach its destination. The boxes contained stacks of money, about 30 lakhs Indian rupees.
The valuation of thirty lakhs was far greater in 1973, as compared to the present valuation. The most challenging part of this money heist was that the money had to be stolen midair. The cargo was under strict security cover at the place of departure, and the police had secured the landing area at the destination, fully aware of the costly cargo.
To make the matter worse, the plane had famous Indian film actress of yesteryears Mala Sinha as one of the passengers. The hijackers knew that the plane needed to be landed at an undisclosed location for stealing the money.
Chapter 2
On 10th June 1973, a Royal Nepal Airlines DHC-6 twin otter, a 19-seater small plane took off from Biratnagar on the way to Katmandu, the capital of Nepal. This flight was carrying three boxes, each stacked with ten lakhs Indian rupees, so a total of 30 lakh rupees. This money was to be deposited in Nepal Rashtra Bank at Katmandu.
The plane took off at 8.30 AM Nepal time from Biratnagar airport with the precious cargo and was scheduled to land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Katmandu. The total duration of the flight was around 40 to 45 mins.
Five minutes after takeoff, suddenly two passengers sitting at two different places stood up and went straight into the pilot’s cabin. They took out pistols from their trousers and threatened the pilot with dire consequences if their orders are not followed. At the same time, another third passenger got up from his seat and threatened the remaining passengers by displaying a hand grenade.
After a few minutes, the hijackers, who had entered the pilot’s cabin, took out a piece of paper that contained a map and placed it before the pilot. He instructed in a harsh voice that the plane should follow the path depicted on the map.
Chapter 3
The pilot argued that the path provided on the map is not the same as the flight path. The hijackers threatened the pilot with severe consequences for him and the passengers if the instructions were not followed. The map provided by the hijackers pointed to a place called Forbesganj in Bihar. The pilot started following the path provided by the hijackers.
On crossing the Indian border, and flying over Forbesganj at a low altitude, the hijackers pointed to a grass field and informed the pilot to land in that field. The pilot became scared and said that this is a 19-seater plane, and could only land on a proper runway. It is dangerous to land in a grass field as it can have bumps and potholes, it will be challenging to maneuver the aircraft, and the passengers can be injured.
The hijackers insisted that they wanted the plane to be landed in that field itself and pushed the nozzle of the gun to the pilot’s stomach. The helpless pilot had to land the aircraft with great control in the grass field.
As soon as the plane lands, the hijackers opened the cargo door and took out the three boxes that contained the precious cargo. Three jeeps were already in waiting at the end of the field. They loaded each of the boxes in three jeeps and fled. The entire operation was completed within 10 minutes.
Chapter 4
The pilot was unaware of the precious cargo, and the hijackers had not put any demands other than to land the plane at the desired location. The passengers were also unaware of the consequences. As the hijackers collected the boxes, they informed the pilot to take off the plane with the passengers to Katmandu.
The plane took off with the remaining passengers towards Katmandu after the boxes were taken out. The pilot registered a complaint on reaching Katmandu airport, and the matter was immediately reported to New Delhi. Meanwhile, the three jeeps left the field as soon as the boxes were loaded into them.
The pilot reported that no demands were presented by the hijackers and no passengers were injured, the only demand of the hijackers was to land the plane in a grass field and they were free to go when the hijackers took out three boxes from the plane’s cargo.
Soon the investigation started, and both Indian and Nepalese investigation agencies participated to identify the real culprits.
Chapter 5
Nepal was ruled by King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev in 1973, and the entire country was under the aegis of the monarchy. The political parties and people of Nepal wanted to establish democracy and rule of people instead of having a Monarchy.
It was quickly found out that the hijackers who boarded the plane were Basanta Bhattarai, Durga Subedi, and Nagendra Prasad Dhungel. The main mastermind of the entire hijack was Girija Prasad Koirala, who later became the Prime Minister of Nepal.
Ganesh Sharma, an Indian national arranged for the jeeps that took the looted money to Darjeeling at a safe house of B.L Sharma, who was a close acquaintance of Bisheshwar Prasad Koirala. Other members present at the field with the jeep in Forbesganj were Binod Aryal, Sushil Koirala, Manahari Baral, Rajendra Dahal, and Biru Lama.
For diverting attention, the hijackers went to Banaras and then to Bombay (Mumbai). They also frequently met B. P Koirala, who was the president of the Nepali Congress. Within a year of the hijack, all the persons involved in the hijack were arrested apart from Nagendra Prasad Dhungel. During the period of emergency in 1976 in India, they were all released on bail.
Chapter 6
As the investigation progressed, it became clear that the plane hijack was done to steal money. The hijackers intended to use the money to fund the democratic uprising in Nepal. The money was transferred by India to Nepal to run the country properly.
The money was shifted from Arrariya in Bihar to Nepal Rastra Bank. The bank, with its security, shifted the money by road to Biratnagar, and it was to be transported to the bank’s main branch in Katmandu through the flight.
The main architects of the plan were Girija Prasad Koirala and Durga Subedi, who was just released from prison. During his days in prison Subedi, used to read about the hijacking of a Japan Airlines flight. One day they both had been tipped by Madan Aryal, who was an employee of Biratnagar Bank that a large sum of money would be transported to Katmandu by air route.
Madan Aryal was also a supporter of the Nepali Congress and wanted a democratic establishment to rule the country instead of a monarchy. On receiving the tip, the plan to hijack the plane midair was hatched, and accordingly, a place in India was selected for its safe landing. Simultaneously jeeps were arranged to take the amount of the loot to a safe hideout.
Chapter 7
The hijack was hatched to favour a political party, and not for any individual. The money was later misused by B. P Koirala and only a small amount of the money was used for the democratic cause. B. P Koirala also became the Prime minister of Nepal.
The 19-seater DH-6 was used afterward for Nepalese flights for another 41 years until it was destroyed in the 2014 crash of Nepal Airlines Flight 183. Such was the association of the plane with the people of Nepal and its democratic revolution, that even after the plane crash, the debris was re-assembled and displayed in the B.P museum.
The film ‘Hijacking for Democracy’ was made on this story and screened by the Nepal tourism board. The persons involved in the hijacking were all provided decent positions when the democratic government took the oath, with two of the team members later becoming the Prime Minister of the country.
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