Nepalese royal massacre

Nepalese Royal Massacre

INTRO

The Nepalese Royal Massacre occurred on 1 June 2001, at a house on the grounds of the Narayanhity Royal Palace, the residence of the Nepalese monarchy. Ten members of the family were killed during a party or monthly reunion dinner of the royal family in the house. The dead included King Birendra of Nepal and Queen Aishwarya.

Later, upon his father's death, Prince Dipendra became de jure King of Nepal while in coma, and he died in the hospital three days after the massacre without recovering from this coma.

INCIDENCE

According to reports, at the dinner, Crown Prince Dipendra had been drinking heavily, had smoked large quantities of hashish and "misbehaved" with a guest which resulted in his father King Birendra telling Dipendra, who was his oldest son, to leave the party. 

Crown Prince Dipendra was escorted to his room by his brother Prince Nirajan and cousin Prince Paras.

About an hour later, Dipendra walked outside the party room and pulled a SPAS-12 from a bag containing weapons which included an H&K MP5 submachine gun and an M16. He walked inside and fired a single shot with the SPAS-12, hitting his father, before firing into the ceiling. As the family began to aid King Birendra, Dipenra went outside, g removed the M16 from the bag, and returned to the room. He walked up to his father, who lay on the floor, and prepared to shoot him again. 

When his uncle Dhirendra tried to dissuade Dipendra from doing so, he shot his uncle in the chest at point-blank range. This was the beginning of the massacre. Dipendra aimed at Kumar Khadga, shooting him several times in the chest, killing him. His wife, Princess Sharada, ran over to her husband and began to cradle him. Dipendra then turned the gun on her and shot her multiple times in the back, killing her instantly.

Dipendra then shot Kumar Gorakha, hitting him in the face and hand. He fell onto a couch, groaning in pain. Princess Shruti, his wife, ran over to her husband, only to be fatally shot by her brother in the chest, falling on top of her husband. Excerpts from the official probe report, prepared by a two-member committee in Kathmandu, stated that King Birendra made an abortive last-minute attempt to shoot at Dipendra as the latter fired indiscriminately at the royals.

INCIDENCE FROM POINT OF SURVIVOR

As the story later told, the Queen Aishwarya, who came into the room when the first shots were fired, escaped the room following Dipendra to reason with him. She was accompanied in her pursuit by her younger son, Prince Nirajan. Nirajan was then shot in the chest, fatally, in the garden by the Crown Prince. His mother followed her son up to the top of the outside stairs, crying and asking Dipendra what he was trying to prove. Dipendra then turned, aimed the gun at his mother, who tried to run, but he fatally shot her multiple times in her nape and back. She fell, rolling down the steps. Dipendra proceeded to a small bridge over a stream running through the palace gardens, where he shot himself six times in the back and once in the left hand, which left him critically injured.

REASON FOR CRIME

It was his family's opposition to his marriage to Devyani Rana which angered and frustrated him. It was this petty love scandal that led to the downfall of a royal clan and the Nepalese Monarchy in all in the years to follow. And at the dinner, Crown Prince Dipendra had been drinking heavily, had smoked large quantities of hashish.

AFTERMATH

While Dipendra lived, Gyanendra maintained that the deaths were the result of an "accidental discharge of an automatic weapon". However, he later said that he made this claim due to "legal and constitutional hurdles", since under the constitution, and by tradition, Dipendra could not have been charged with murder had he survived. A full investigation took place, and Crown Prince Dipendra was found to be responsible for the killing.

REPORT BY: RISHIL TRIVEDI 12^TH LILY