Exclusive: Flashback to 1973 Air Crash; When a former Punjab CM along with Union Minister died in a plane crash; Watch Video
By Gurpreet Singh Mandiani
Ludhiana (Punjab), June 13, 2025: As the nation mourns the tragic death of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in a recent plane crash, memories have resurfaced of a similar disaster that claimed the life of Punjab’s former Chief Minister Justice Gurnam Singh 52 years ago.
The horrific incident occurred on the night of May 31, 1973, when an Indian Airlines Boeing 737 flying from Madras (now Chennai) to New Delhi crashed just moments before landing at Palam Airport.
Watch Video
The aircraft was caught in a fierce rainstorm and, while attempting to land at 10:10 pm, struck high-voltage power lines and burst into flames.Of the 65 people on board, only 17 survived. Among the 48 casualties were several prominent political leaders:
- Justice Gurnam Singh, Punjab’s first non-Congress and Akali Dal Chief Minister, who had served two terms (1967 and 1969).
- Mohan Kumaramangalam, then Union Minister for Steel and Mines.
- Bulandham Detha, a sitting Communist Party MP.
- A former Rajya Sabha member (name not recorded in initial reports).
Also aboard was Bhan Singh Bhaura, a Communist MP from Punjab, who miraculously survived the crash. 26 years later, in 1999, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from Bathinda, marking a dramatic turn in his political journey.
Justice Gurnam Singh’s death cast a long shadow over Punjab. At the time of the crash, he had recently been appointed as India’s High Commissioner to Australia. His passing was deeply mourned across the state.
Justice Gurnam Singh
Recounting the public sentiment of the time, the author writes about a condolence meeting held at Government High School, Dakha, where the news was shared with students.
The English teacher, Master Gurbachan Singh Jangpur, gave a heartfelt tribute and became visibly emotional while announcing the death of Justice Gurnam Singh. His tribute also remembered the late Mohan Kumaramangalam and others lost in the tragedy.
The incident, steeped in sorrow and political significance, also gave rise to speculation and doubts in local communities, with many elders in village gatherings questioning the nature of the crash.
As history echoes through the corridors of current events, the tragic 1973 Palam crash serves as a grim reminder of the price paid by public figures in the line of duty—and how fate can both take and restore lives.