First eyewitness account of Palace incident

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KATHMANDU, June 7 – After days of silence surrounding the Friday night massacre at the Narayanhity Royal Palace, an eyewitness has finally publicly come forward to describe in graphic detail how the killings occurred. The witness also confirmed what has been circulating for some time: that it was Crown Prince Dipendra who shot his father the late King Birendra and others.

Army Captain Dr. Rajiv Shahi, a medical doctor who is married to Princess Pooja Shahi (the daughter of former Prince Dhirendra who also succumbed to bullet wounds), said that the then Crown Prince Dipendra was "very very intoxicated."

Dr Shahi said that the Prince first shot his father and then "started to go wild shooting at whoever came in front of him".

Speaking at a hurriedly called press briefing today at the Birendra Army Hospital, Dr Shahi provided the first eyewitness accounts to emerge publicly of the horrendous shootings that has engulfed Nepal in grief and shock.

According to Shahi, the then Crown Prince Dipendra not only fired indiscriminately from automatic rifles, but also dashed repeatedly inside and outside the large hall where the weekly dinner was taking place, pumping in bullets on his family members who were injured but not yet dead.

"All this time the then Crown Prince Dipendra was in a battle fatigue. He was wielding an assault rifle at different times. An M-16 at times and MP-5, I think, but I am not too sure about what the weapons were…I did not count how many," he said. "It was too far and too terrifying to see what was going on…"

Capt. Dr. Shahi, one of the surviving witnesses to the incident that took place at the Royal Palace on June 1, also spoke about the positive, even heroic, role of Prince Paras Shah, the son of present King Gyanendra, saying he had saved many lives that day.

"He (then Crown Prince Dipendra) turned towards the other group (aiming to shoot at the youngsters). The other group comprised of Prince Paras, and all the ladies were behind him…Had it not been for Prince Paras, probably there would have been not so many survivors that day," he said.

According to Capt. Dr. Shahi, he along with his father-in-law former Prince Dhirendra, his wife Princess Pooja and his sisters-in-law, Princess Dilasha and Princess Sitashma had reached the Royal Palace at around 7:45 p.m. for the regular Friday get together.

After paying respects to Her Majesty Queen Mother and Princess Helen at the former’s residence, the celebrations began in different groups at the drawing room, he said.

"At that time, the then Crown Prince Dipendra told me that he was very very intoxicated," he said. "…It’s an L-shaped room. There is a snooker table, some chairs, speakers, music system and a small bar…not really a bar but just a stand."

"At about 8:15, His Late Majesty King Birendra walked in with an ADC (security personnel). He went to meet the Queen Mother and spent some time with her. At that time, the late Crown Prince started to appear that he was really intoxicated. He started to fall down anywhere, stammer. And at that time, because this is a family gathering, we escorted him up to his room," he explained.

"So, his younger brother late Prince Nirajan, myself and Prince Paras, we escorted him, carried him through the garden gate. After this, His Majesty came inside the large drawing room. We all came in…and moved away at different places."

Dr Shahi said that King Birendra was standing near the snooker table inside the room, whereas the youngsters were at a different area in the room. "The exact places where the other members of the Royal Family were sitting or standing at that time, I cannot say for certain…I was not at a very advantageous position to see where they were [1]."

At around 9 p.m., Shahi said, he heard a burst of gunfire. "It was an automatic. I thought that somebody was playing a prank. There was a lot of shouting, chaos…and all of a sudden I heard people saying that His Late Majesty King Birendra has been shot."

"Being a doctor, I rushed...took off my coat and pressed it against his (King Birendra’s) neck from where he was bleeding. His Late Majesty told me that he had been shot in the stomach as well. I told him not to worry at the moment, as stopping the bleeding was more important at that time."

Shahi continued that after shooting the King, the then Crown Prince Dipendra dashed out of the hall. "I did not see the initial shooting…I did not see it all. He (late Majesty King Birendra) was lying down on the floor [2]. Princess Shova Shahi, his younger sister, was also beside him. All of a sudden, Dipendra walked into the room. My father-in-law late Prince Dhirendra tried to intervene. At this point he was shot at point blank range on his chest[3]."

"And at about this time, the Crown Prince started to go wild and started shooting at whoever came in front of him. I am not too sure where everybody was because it was such a blur."

He said that Princess Shanti, Princess Sharada and her husband Kumar Khadga as well as Princess Shruti’s husband Gorakh Shumsher Rana were also shot at this moment. Gorakh Shumsher was shot in the chest, but he managed to crawl to Shahi’s side. "He said he had been shot, and I told him to lie down." After the shootings, Dipendra dashed out again, only to return soon.

"Before he came in, Princess Shruti had moved by her husband’s side to inquire about his health and may be to help him. When he (Dipendra) came at this time, he shot at Princess Shova, Princess Shruti, and His Majesty again. And at about this time, I jumped towards the sofa to save myself."

The then Crown Prince then went out again, providing Shahi the opportunity to run for cover. But before he could get out of the room, the Crown Prince returned again.

"He came in again and shot His Majesty, late Princess Shruti, Kumar Gorakh, Kumar Khadga, Princess Sharada at point blank range, again. When he went out again this time, I ran out from the window[4]. I called four ADCs to come, to call for the ambulance, the doctors and I went out."

Shahi said that Dipendra returned again. Upto this time, Queen Aishwarya and Prince Nirajan had both escaped serious injuries. But Dipendra shot at them this time in the garden outside the room[5].

"What happened in the garden concerning Her Late Majesty Queen Aishwarya, late Prince Nirajan and the then Crown Prince Dipendra…I am not too sure because I didn’t see it. But from what I gather, Prince Nirajan, Her Late Majesty Queen Aishwarya went to confront him (late Crown Prince Dipendra) about what he did. And Prince Nirajan knowing the condition his brother was in tried to save her (late Queen Aishwarya) by intervening between his mother and his brother. He was shot in the back. He had numerous gunshot wounds."

After that, said Shahi, the then Crown Prince Dipendra shot himself on the small bridge inside the garden[6]. "By the time I had gone out, I came here to the Army Hospital to prepare the people. And about the same time His Late Majesty King Birendra was brought here."

"What motivated him (Dipendra) to do this, I am not sure. But it was the then Crown Prince Dipendra who committed this murder. Anybody who touches (harms) the King is no more what he used to be. He is just a murderer," said Dr Shahi.

Probe to begin Today

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KATHMANDU, June 7 - Contrary to earlier claims that the powerful probe committee to investigate the Royal massacre began its works Tuesday, a committee member said today that it would begin its investigation only from Friday.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, Speaker of the Lower House of the Parliament, Taranath Ranabhat said that the committee would begin its work from 8 a.m. Friday.

He also informed that the office for the committee was being established within the premises of the Parliamentary Secretariat.

Talking about the modus operandi of the investigation, Ranabhat said the two-member committee would work in accordance with the "terms of reference" laid out by His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev on Wednesday.

"We will inspect the venue of the shooting, interview doctors, hostesses, survivors and record them, conduct ballistic and forensic tests with the help of experts," said Ranabhat.

We will try to submit our report within three days starting tomorrow, said Ranabhat.

The committee, which was supposed to start its work from Tuesday, was crippled after leader of the main opposition CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned from the Committee citing differences over the legal procedures followed during the formation of the committee.

Asked if the eyewitness account of the tragic incident made public by Captain Dr Rajiv Shahi, a Royal family member today would affect the Committee’s investigation in any way, Ranabhat said, "We are not concerned about anything anybody says."

The Committee is an authentic body to probe the Royal massacre and we will individually interview all the survivors and eyewitnesses," he said. Ranabhat also added that the Committee would listen only to what eyewitnesses would narrate and not what they say in any press conference or elsewhere.

The committee was announced by His Majesty King Gaynendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev while addressing the nation over state radio and television on Monday immediately after his accession to the throne. The Committee is headed by Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhaya.

Journos’ arrest condemned
Rights groups, others demand release

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KATHMANDU, June 7 - Condemnations against the arrests of Kantipur Publications management and editor of Kantipur Daily have been pouring in from various journalist and Human Rights organisation from the country and abroad.

In a press release issued here today, Amnesty International, the human rights organization, has strongly condemned the arrest of Yubraj Ghimire, editor of Kantipur Daily and Kailash Sirohiya and Binod Raj Gyawali, managing director and director of Kantipur Publications respectively.

"Amnesty International (AI) considers them prisoners of conscience and is calling for their immediate and unconditional release," states a press issued here today.

The detainees appear to have been arrested solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression, which includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds— either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media, adds the AI release.

In another move to express solidarity behind the arrested media personalities, media people, journalists, artists and concerned citizens launched a demonstration outside the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi today. Addressing the demonstration, prominent members of the press including Prabhakar Joshi, editor of Jansatta, Sumit Chakravarty, editor of Mainstream, SK Pande of Delhi Union of Journalists, Rajesh Joshi of Outlook Magazine, and Madhukar Upadhyay of PTI condemned the government move and demanded immediate release of the detainees.

A six-member delegation of the New Delhi based SAHMAT (Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust) met the Counsellor inside the Embassy to hand over petition to the government of Nepal.

"The action of the government of Nepal is a clear crackdown on the freedom of the press. We call on the government to release them. We also express our solidarity with the journalists of Nepal, who are performing their duty under trying circumstances," said the release issued here.

The Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ) also held its central committee meeting and demanded immediate release of the detainees. "The government’s move is an indication of psychological pressure upon press to curtail its freedom. This will surely block the development of the Nepali media," the release said.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post, FNJ president Suresh Acharya said that the article of Dr Baburam Bhattarai published in the Kantipur Daily has only brought the Maoist opinion regarding the incident of massacre, which must be viewed "positively".

Similarly, PEN-Nepal has also issued a press release saying that the Constitution has guaranteed the right to expression and information.

Meanwhile the New York based Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) also issued a press release and condemned the government for such arrest and called for their immediate and unconditional release.

"International Press Institute, Nepal National Committee also issued a press release and condemned the detention. It has also demanded that "the government refrain from any form of intimidation of the news media and uphold every Nepali citizen’s rights to the freedom of expression."

Meanwhile Federation of Nepalese Journalist- Sindhuli Branch, Kavre Branch, Kathmandu Branch and National Forum of Photo-Journalists (NFPJ), Association of Nepalese Indigenous/Nationalities Journalists, Press Chautari Nepal, Jagaran Media Centre and the Reporters Club of Nepal have also condemned the government’s move, and demanded immediate and unconditional release of the arrested journalists and publishers.

Various Human Rights and other organisations have also expressed their concern over the detention. The Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES), INSEC, IHRICON, Alliance for Human Rights and Social Justice,(ALLIANCE-Nepal), Forum for Protection of Human Rights (FOPHUR), INHURED INTERNATIONAL, Institute of Human Rights Communication, Nepal, and Sancharika Samuha, Nepal, expressing their concern about the detention, have called for immediate release of the media personalities.

Political parties, diplomats concerned

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KATHMANDU, June 7 – The government’s move to arrest the publishers of Kantipur Publications and an editor of the Kantipur daily has attracted scathing condemnation from various political parties and diplomatic circles.

Larry Dinger, Charge de’ Affaires of American Embassy said that his embassy is seriously observing the incident. "American government believes that freedom of press is indispensable part of democracy," he said.

Three plain-clothes policemen arrived in an unmarked car brandishing arrest warrants Wednesday afternoon. They left with Yubaraj Ghimire, editor of Nepal’s largest-selling newspaper Kantipur, Kailash Sirohiya and Binod Raj Gyawali, the Managing Director and Director of Kantipur Publications Pvt Ltd respectively.

Issuing press statements Thursday, the parties and their affiliates remarked that the government’s move was an attack on the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution.

"At a time when the government ought to have sought cooperation and harmony from all the quarters to establish peace and stability in the nation, the government has displayed intolerance by arresting the three for publishing a personal article by someone who is not associated with the Publications," said a statement by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. It also demanded their immediate release.

Similarly, Rastriya Jan Morcha (RJM), Nepali Rastriya Ekta Party (NREP) and Samyukta Marxwadi Morcha (SMM) demanded the trio’s release. The NREP charged that while the government had failed to book anyone from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) which has launched an armed struggle, it illegally arrested the three by assaulting the press freedom.

The RJM likened the government’s move with the autocratic Panchayati era style when such things were common.

Likewise, DECONT, a trade union organization expressed its concern over the arrests. The DECONT said that it was not only a violation of human rights, but also that of the freedom of speech and expression.

Similarly, the different All Nepal National Free Students’ Unions (ANNFSUs) condemned the government’s action. They also demanded immediate release of the editor and the two senior executives of the publications.

Also, the Federation of Editors and Publishers, Nepal said that the government move was the violation of Article 13 of the Constitution that deals with the fundamental rights of the press and publication.

Ghimire, Sirohiya and Gyawali, are all charged with sedition, a serious charge that, if proven, carries at least three years of imprisonment. And the reason, said police officers, was because Kantipur had published an opinion article today by Dr Baburam Bhattarai, a rebel Maoist leader, which talked about a conspiracy behind the recent killings of late King Birendra and his entire family.

Late Princess Shruti was an all-rounder

By Somesh Verma 

KATHMANDU, June 7 - A painter of repute, a   judo black belt, a mother of two tender daughters and a Royal title; all at an age of 25. Sounds good as long as we don’t mention that such a life was cut short by a dreadful tragedy.

The demise of Princess Shruti - a victim of the worst ever Royal massacre in the history of Nepal - was a shock to the entire nation. It was also a terrible setback to the world of arts. Lain Singh Bangdel, a senior artist, says that the loss is irreparable.

The late Princess, a student of Govind Dangol (a student of Bangdel himself) was regarded highly by the veteran artist. "She did not attend any formal art school but proved her finesse as an artist by learning on her own," Bangdel says.

He says that he had noticed her caliber during her first solo painting exhibition held at the Royal Nepal Academy in 1996. "Every single one of her artworks were good," adds the senior art Guru.

Though her peers in the field of art recognize her as a proficient hand at oil painting as well as charcoal and pencil art, the Princess was nothing less than an allrounder, say her friends. She had shown her interest in various other art forms, including the performing arts, right from her early childhood days. During her primary schooling days at the Kanti Ishwori Shishu Vidhyalaya, she was a regular drama and dance participant, her teachers said.

Manju Pandey, a teacher during her days in Kanti Ishwori, remembers her as a "shy and quiet" girl, who used to participate in a lot of extra-curricular activities. "She was a regular in the school plays and dances," she told The Kathmandu Post, recounting the early school life of the deceased Princess. "She used to behave like any other normal girl and Their Majesties would visit our school just like any other parents on our ‘Parent’s Days’,"

Talking about the Princess, she tells us about the moments when Shruti visited the school again. "It was wonderful to have her as a guest in the last year’s inter-school essay competition to commemorate the Crown Prince’s birthday," she reminisces, dwelling in the past.

Everybody, who had interacted with her, feels nostalgic when they talk about her. One of her friends during the secondary school days at St Mary’s School says that the moments shared between them cannot be forgotten. Wishing to remain unnamed, she adds that the Princess was an allrounder in track-and-field events, and an excellent orator.

Perhaps her skills in the sports field was justified when former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto presented Her Royal Highness with a Black Belt and a certificate in Judo 1999, to add to the many medals she had won in the school.

She says that she is shell-shocked by the news of what happened last week. Perhaps the best way to take the news is, as Bangdel puts it, "Just pray so that the departed soul rests in peace." Amen!

Water poisoning rumour at Mata Tirtha

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KATHMANDU, June 7 - Around one thousand inhabitants of Mata Tirtha VDC, Thankot, some 15 kilometers south-west of the Capital city, were panicking for hours today after they were told that their water supply has been poisoned.

The panic spread after the local women who had been to reservoir tank to collect water reported the smell of poison in it.

After the investigation by Nepal Drinking Water Supply Corporation, the technicians said that some kind of "powder or liquid" was mixed in the water but they ruled out it was fatal.

Hari Prasad Dhakal, Deputy General Manager of Nepal Drinking Water Supply Corporation, who along with a lab physician visited the spot for inspection said that the water was impure but not fatal.

However, the authorities told the locals to use the water only after cleaning the reserve tank.

VDC president, Janak Rizal said, "Since we have a number of reserve tanks here there is fear and reluctance among the locals to use water from other tanks."

Royal Nepal Academy for Science and Technology (RONAST) has separately collected samples of "impure" water. The details about the contamination will be known after thorough investigation by RONAST.

Both the locals and the authorities said they have no idea about the culprit behind such a wicked act.