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The Royal Massacre of Nepal occurred on Friday (9 p.m.), June 1, 2001, in Narayanhiti Royal Palace, Kathmandu. Ten members with the King, Birendra and Queen, Aishwarya, were killed and five injured. Prince Dipendra became de jure King of Nepal upon the King's death and died in the Army hospital coma in Chhauni 3 days later. Northwest of Narayanhiti Palace, the private residence of Prine Dipendra, Tribhuvan Sadan, was the massacre place. Unfortunately, Tribhuvan Sadan was razed to the ground in 2005 and reconstructed in 2016.
Narayanhiti was converted into Narayanhiti Palace Museum by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on June 15, 2008. The museum was opened to the public on February 26, 2009, by Prime Minister Puspa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda). Now, it is open Sunday to Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. except Tuesday and Wednesday. The museum ticket costs 1000 Rupees for tourists, 500 Rupees for SAARC and Chinese Nationals, 200 Rupees for Nepali, and students with elders charge 50 Rupees. It suggests an hour's visit to the museum, Tribhuvan Sadan and Shree Sadan with a garden. Narayanhiti complex occupied 753 Ropani (37.65 hectares) land.
All invited 24 relatives arrived at 8 p.m. with King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya. It reported, that Prince Dipendra arrived early and had been drinking heavily (7 p.m.), even misbehaving with the guest. Later, King Birendra told him to leave the party. Afterwards, Dipendra was taken to his room by Prince Nirajan, Cousin Prince Paras, Gorakh and Dr. Rajiv Shahi. The Ardali and Dware Aama heard Dipendra was vomiting in his bathroom. The Crown Prince ordered his ADC to bring a cigarette with hashish (8:19 p.m.), passing by Cousin Prince Paras. Prince Dipendra had a phone call to his girlfriend, Devyani Rana. According to the palace report, around 9 p.m., Dipendra returned to the royal party with an MP5K and an M16 Rifle.
Dipendra fired a single shot to the ceiling before shooting King Birendra. Later, he killed one of his aunts. After, the gun fired at Uncle Dhirendra's chest while his uncle was stopping him. While shot, Prince Paras was slightly injured, though he saved three royals, including two children, by pulling a sofa over them. While attacked, Dipendra darted in and out of the room with fire bullets each time. Queen Aishwarya arrived in the room when the first shots were fired and left quickly, looking for help. Queen Aishwarya and Prince Nirajan faced him near the garden and were shot dead. Dipendra moved to a small bridge near Tribhuvan Sadan and shot himself. Later, the injured were taken to the Military Hospital, Chhauni. Ten royal members were dead at different times. The report was by the Nepal government and the palace investigation.
Some Nepalis suspected that Gyanendra was responsible for the royal massacre on June 1, 2001. He had blamed Prince Dipendra, for which he could assume the throne. Gyanendra was not as famous as King Birendra, who placed the third position on the royal throne before the incident. The surviving Gyanendra was out of Kathmandu. His wife Komal and son Paras were in the Tribhuvan Sadan. Princess Komal and Paras were slightly injured. Feeding the rumour, Dipendra was said to be mortally wounded by a gunshot to the left side of the head, while Dipendra was right-handed. Some believe that this casts doubt on whether the injury was self-inflicted. The 5,000 soldiers guarded Narayanhiti Palace.
Despite the facts, two survivors have publicly confirmed that Dipendra was responsible for the shooting. Nevertheless, numerous people still consider it mysterious. The Hawaldar, Lal Bahadur Lamteri Magar interviewed on Naya Patrika (on July 23, 2008). He explains the first shootings heard in Crown Prince's quarters, where Dipendra was taking a rest later drink. Meanwhile, Dipendra was responsible for the massacre in the government report. Later, Sipai Lal Bahadur Lamteri Magar, Narendra Thapa Magar (Lesnayak), Shiva Kuwnar (Hawaldar) and Gun Bahadur Pun (Nayak) suggested a petition at Narayanhiti Palace Secretariat. They had confirmed that Dipendra was not the killer. Afterwards, Lal Bahadur was arrested and charged with a case by the Kathmandu district court (murder of Uttam Raj Pandey, Aramdai Lodge, Sorhakhutte Kathmandu) and sent to Nakhu Jail. Wayne Madsen published an article (September 21, 2002) in the Monthly Review, Comparisons between the Recent U.S.-Backed Coups Caracas and Kathmandu.
The book Rakta Kunda was also published (2007) in Nepal about the royal massacre. The survived witnesses Shanta, a house cleaner of Queen Mother Ratna. The view of Shanta has been published in the book. The book writer Krishna Abiral mentions the historical novel declaring two men masked as Crown Prince Dipendra fired by four different weapons. Shanta's husband, Trilochan Acharya (not reported), was a royal palace employee killed at the massacre. The book Narayanhiti Darbar Ra Deshbhaktako Avasan was published in 2011 by Dr. Rajkumar Pokhrel. The team masked as Crown Prince was practised a few days earlier in Bhaktapur hospital. The team also left Kathmandu the next day of the royal massacre.
Dipendra proclaimed Nepal King while in a coma and died on June 4, 2001, after three days of reign. Gyanendra was then appointed a regent when Dipendra was alive. Gyanendra claimed the deaths were the result of an accident. Later, he expressed that due to legal and constitutional hurdles, under the constitution and tradition, Dipendra was not charged as a murderer. A full investigation was reported, as Crown Prince Dipendra was found responsible for the incident. During the royal massacre, King Gyanendra was in Ratna Mandir, Pokhara.
Numerous conspiracy theories suggest an alternate conclusion to this incident. Rumours said Prince Dipendra was angry over a marriage dispute. Dipendra's choice of bride was Devyani Rana, a daughter of Pashupati SJB Rana. He was a member of the Rana clan, against whom the Shah dynasty had historical animosity. Rana clan had served as hereditary prime ministers of Nepal until 1951, with the Maharaja title. Two Shah and Rana clans have been carrying out a long history of intermarriages. All linked Dipendra's actions to a clash with his mother, Queen Aishwarya and his wish to marry Devyani Rana as his girlfriend. It claimed Prince Dipendra had problems with drugs and alcohol, despite his affable public persona, had a cruel view of his personality. Royal massacre's next day, Devyani Rana flew to Delhi (India).
Two men committee involving Keshav Prasad Upadhaya (the then-Supreme Court Chief Justice) and Taranath Ranabhat (the then-Speaker of the House of Representatives) carried out a week-long investigation of the massacre. However, opposition leader Madhav Kumar Nepal denied staying on the committee. Girija Prasad Koirala was the prime minister, and Prajwalla Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana was the chief of Army Staff during the Royal massacre. The investigation collects 110 people's interviews with eyewitnesses, palace officials, guards and staff. It reported that Dipendra was responsible for the royal massacre. However, the report was completed without a postmortem and Nepal police investigation. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala had also invited the royal party, though he denied joining. Later, Prime Minister Koirala used to speak about the royal massacre as a grand design without explaining it. Some critics throughout Nepal and abroad disputed the official report. Nepal converted to a Federal Republic Country in 2008 with the political change.
The following people are related to the incident
Killed
Wounded
Eyewitness
Sahipaswobarti and others on duty
Other Responsible Person
Telephone Connected Person
