Bholanath Pandey, Congress Leader Who ‘Hijacked’ Plane Demanding Indira Gandhi’s Release, Passes Away

Lucknow: Former Congress MLA Bholanath Pandey, who along with an associate hijacked a plane in 1978 using a toy gun, demanding the release of Indira Gandhi from jail, died on Friday.

Congress Ballia district president Umashankar Pathak confirmed that Pandey (71) died in Lucknow after long illness.

“Hearing this sad news, state president Ajay Rai has written a letter to Pandey’s family and expressed condolences on behalf of the Congress family,” the UP Congress said on X.

Pathak added that Pandey had hijacked an Indian Airlines plane in 1978 in protest against the arrest of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

The two men hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 410 with a toy gun and a ball. They asked the pilot to fly to Nepal, but the pilot refused citing a shortage of fuel.

The plane landed in Varanasi and passengers escaped when the hijackers allowed to open a rear door.

Later the hijack case against the two men was dropped.

Pandey was a Congress MLA twice from the Doaba (now Bairia) Assembly constituency from 1980 to 1985 and from 1989 to 1991.

Pandey is survived by his four sons and two daughters.