Dramatic life of Nepal's PM pick Sushila Karki: Impeachment, husband's hijack past

It is perhaps an irony for Sushila Karki, who finds her name being floated as a possible replacement for KP Sharma Oli as Nepal's interim head, was endorsed as the Chief Justice pick by the ousted Prime Minister himself. She went on to become Nepal's first woman Chief Justice on July 11, 2016.

Known as a fearless figure in Nepal's judiciary, Karki, during her one-year tenure as Chief Justice, delivered decisive verdicts against some of the country's ministers and powerful bureaucrats. However, an intriguing aspect of Karki's life is the chequered past of her husband, who was involved in Nepal's first and only plane hijacking.

ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADER

However, Karki, an alumnus of Varanasi's BHU, made a name for herself with her strong stance against corruption and judicial reforms.

With Nepal at crossroads, following violent Gen Z protests over corruption and authoritarianism, Karki will have to display that fearlessness again if she eventually goes on to become the interim prime minister.

During her tenure as judge, Karki's most notable decision was sentencing the then Information and Communication Minister, Jayaprakash Gupta, to jail while he was still in office. This was a first in Nepal's history.

In another significant ruling, she removed the head of the anti-corruption bureau, Lokman Singh Karki, forcing him into exile in Canada.

FACED IMPEACHMENT

However, her tenure as Chief Justice was not without challenges and her bold actions invited political backlash.

She was temporarily suspended after the Nepali Parliament once tabled an impeachment motion against her due to her alleged interventions in the functioning of the executive. Karki was later reinstated as Chief Justice by the Supreme Court.

The case prompted the Supreme Court to change the constitutional rule under which the Chief Justice would be suspended as soon as an impeachment motion was filed in Parliament.

Born in Biratnagar, Karki's family was closely associated with the founder of the Nepali Congress, BP Koirala.

While her father wanted her to become a doctor, Karki chose law. She completed her Master's in political science from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where she also met her husband, Durga Prasad Suvedi. Subedi was a close aide of Koirala as well as a youth leader of the Nepali Congress. She pursued law from Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu.

HUSBAND INVOLVED IN NEPAL'S FIRST HIJACKING

Another intriguing aspect of her life is her husband's controversial past.

In 1973, during King Mahendra's rule, Subedi was involved in Nepal's first plane hijacking. On June 10, 1973, a Royal Nepal Airlines aircraft was hijacked en route from Biratnagar to Kathmandu. Among the 19 passengers onboard was Bollywood actress Mala Sinha.

However, the key reason behind the hijacking was the Rs 30 lakh that was being ferried from banks in Biratnagar.

The hijacking, masterminded by former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, was intended to fund an armed struggle against the monarchy. Subedi, recently released from jail at the time, was one of Koirala's close aides.

The plane was forced to land in Forbesganj, Bihar, and the money was later transported to Darjeeling by car.

Subedi and others involved in the hijacking were later arrested in Mumbai and jailed for two years. They were released during the Emergency in 1975.

Despite her controversial family background, Karki carved her own independent identity in Nepal's judiciary. It was a major factor behind the Gen Z protesters proposing her name to lead the interim government.

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