1978 Indian Airlines Hijacking: The unheard story of Bholanath Pandey and Devendra Pandey
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New Delhi, September 19 : More than four decades ago, an Indian Airlines flight became the centre of a politically charged hijacking after two men demanded the release of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had been jailed by the Janata government.
On December 20, 1978, Bholanath Pandey and Devendra Pandey hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 410, which was carrying 126 passengers and six crew members. The aircraft was eventually diverted to Varanasi, where the two men negotiated with authorities.
The hijackers claimed to be Youth Congress workers and demanded the release of Indira Gandhi, withdrawal of cases against her son Sanjay Gandhi and the resignation of Prime Minister Morarji Desai's government.
Contemporary reports said the two described themselves as “Gandhians” and claimed they did not intend to harm passengers. The hijacking lasted around 13 hours before the two surrendered. They were found to be carrying toy pistols and a cricket ball wrapped to resemble a grenade.
🚨 99% of Indian Gen Z doesn’t know this
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After Indira Gandhi lost the 1977 election following the Emergency, she was arrested and jailed by the Janata government
On December 20, 1978, two Youth Congress workers, Bholanath Pandey and Devendra Pandey, hijacked an Indian Airlines… https://t.co/2BTkXAO7h4 pic.twitter.com/CvZLwNrRzR
The incident took place a day after Indira Gandhi had been expelled from the Lok Sabha and sent to jail following a breach-of-privilege case. She was released from prison on December 26, 1978.
Indira Gandhi returned as Prime Minister after the 1980 general election. The prosecution against Bholanath Pandey and Devendra Pandey was subsequently withdrawn by the Uttar Pradesh government on December 23, 1980, with court permission, according to a Rajya Sabha record.
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Both men later entered electoral politics. Bholanath Pandey won a Congress ticket for the 1980 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election and became an MLA. He was elected again in 1989. Devendra Pandey also became a Congress MLA and later held a position in the Uttar Pradesh Congress organisation.
Bholanath Pandey continued his political career for decades. In 2014, he contested the Lok Sabha election from Uttar Pradesh's Salempur constituency on a Congress ticket, receiving 41,890 votes, according to election records.