Nepal: The Royal Tragedy 2001 King Dipendra dead Prince Gyanendra declared king Riots and curfew in Kathmandu Devyani Ranan - The girl behind the tragedy

Devyani Rana (1993)

King Dipendra dead - Prince Gyanendra declared king Kathmandu, June 04 , 2001

King Dipendra of Nepal, in a coma from gun shot wounds since he ascended to the throne two days ago following the murder of his father, has died in hospital in Kathmandu. Blame for the murders was initially placed on King Dipendra who was said to have shot his father, mother and other family members on Friday following a dispute over his choice of bride. A meeting of the State Council has been called for Mondayto formally declare the death and proclaim his uncle, Prince Gyanendra, Nepal's third monarch in four days.

An urgent emergency meeting of the Raj Parishad has been called for 9 AM (3.15 GMT) Monday to formally declare the death of late king Dipendra and proclaim his uncle, Prince Gyanendra . King Dipendra, the uncrowned king of Nepal, in a coma from gun shot wounds since he ascended to the throne two days ago following the murder of his father , his mother and other members of The Former Royal Family, died very early Mondayat an army hospital in Kathmandu. The Raj Parishad, after an emergency meeting, made a brief announcement broadcast over radio and television Monday morning at 10:30 that Prince Regent Gyanendra has been declared King of Nepal. King Gyanendra is third monarch in four days. top

Riots in Kathmandu - Curfew imposed after clashes in Nepal Kathmandu, June 04 , 2001

Curfew has been imposed in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, following clashes as the new king, Gyanendra,was crowned as the county's second new monarch in three days. At least two person is reported to have died in the trouble as police fired tear gas at demonstrators near the royal palace Narayanhiti. Two people were killed as police fired bullets and tear gas at rioting youth who were demanding the government should bringout the truth behind the royal killings. At least 19 were injured, doctors said.

Police imposed a 4 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur after earlierfiring tear gas to disperse thousands of angry mourners who threw rocks at baton-wielding police and raced around the city on motorcycles. The dusk-to-dawn curfew in the capital is intended to quell unrest after police struggled to control angry crowds and fired warning shots over the heads of protesters.

Late on Monday, the capital fell quiet because of the curfew, helped perhaps by pre-monsoon rains that fell during clashes between rioters and police. Armed riot police used tear gas and batons to hold back the crowds, which repeatedly tried to approach the palace.

Police were given orders touse their weapons if demonstrators resisted arrest. Youths on motorbikes carried pictures of the late king and queen. Many protesters brandished sticks. Many of those protesting in the streets of the capital on Monday appeared to believe neither that the killings were an accident, nor that Dipendra did the shooting. Some shouted slogans against the new king and his son, Paras Shah, suggesting that they might have been involved in the massacre. Other conspiracy theories involve India and, according to Nepal's militant Maoist groups, unnamed international forces.

About 2,000 people defied the curfew Monday evening, gathering in thestreet in Koteshwar neighborhood near Kathmandu airport . They burned tires and raised banners before police dispersed them with tear gas. Gyanendra planned to call for an independent investigation into the royal killings in an announcement on national radio at 9 p.m. local time (1545GMT), a palace source said on customary condition of anonymity. Earlier, thousands of mostly young men marched, chanting "Dipendrais innocent," and "Punish the real murderers." Others yelled: "We don'twant Gyanendra."

Many shouted that they did not believe that the former Crown PrinceDipendra, who was king on life support for two days before he died early Monday, had carried out the shootings, as claimed by military and government sources. Others blamed the new king for the murders. During the day, armed riot patrols surrounded the palace.
Troops moved into other parts of the city and eyewitnesses saw some soldiers firing warning shots and police beating demonstrators with batons. Two people, including a 25-year-old man shot in the heart, died in police gunfire, said doctors at Bir Hospital and Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu. Nineteen suffered minor injuries.

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Devyani Rana, believed to be the fiancee of Nepal's Crown Prince Dipendra. Devyani, whom Dipendra is said to have been dating for 10 years, is the younger daughter of Usharaje Scindia, the sister of Madhavrao Scindia, who's married to Pashupati Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, a former minister in the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party government in Nepal. Usharaje's mother, the late Vijayaraje Scindia, was also the daughter of a Rana who fled Nepal. Former ambassador to Nepal and retired JNU scholar calls Devyani as a very "cultured" girl.

But it is believed that Dipendra's parents were so opposed to the match that they had threatened to disinherit Dipendra in favour of the younger son, Niranjan: this dates back to the traditional rivalry between the Shahs and the Ranas. In fact, when King Birendra married Queen Aishwarya, it was considered an "unusual alliance" because the Queen was a Rana.

Devyani, who was in India for Vijayaraje's funeral, is the greatgrand-daughter of the last Rana prime minister of Nepal, General MohunShumsher Jung Bahadur. Karan Singh's wife, Yasho Rajya Lakshmi, is the General's grand-daughter - Yasho Rajya Lakshmi and Pashupati Ranaare cousins. Madhavrao Scindia's wife, named Madhavi Devi after her marriage, also comes from a branch of the Rana family.

King Tribhuvan, grandfather of the late king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah,had two wives, and both were daughters of the King of Kashipur whoseson was the maternal grandfather of Martand Singh, scion of theKapurthala royal family.

That's not the only India connection. Before King Birendra became the first from the Nepal royal family to study at Eton, he was a student at StJoseph's School, Darjeeling. His daughter, 25-year-old Princess Shruti,also shot dead by Dipendra on Friday, went to Mayo College in Ajmer,often described as the 'Eton of the East.' Known to be a very good swimmer, she is remembered by her teachers as "a good student and avery unassuming person."

In fact, says vice-principal Dipika Hazra: "The parents themselves never threw their weight around. Like any other parent, they always took prior permission when they wanted to takeShruti out of the college." She also remembers the first time the"concerned brother"' came to check on the school and "inquired about the climate, the severe heat of Ajmer and about coolers (we didn't haveany then)."

That was in 1993. In 1994, Shruti completed her Class XII, as part of thefirst batch of the Girls' College. Married, she was the mother of two, theyoungest being a seven-month-old daughter.

The late King Birendra was also directly related to the Maharaja of Jodhpur and Maharaja of Mayurbhanj in Orissa. Maharani Hemlata, wife of Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur, and the Rajkumari of Poonch before that, is the niece of King Mahendra, father of King Birendra.

Shruti reportedly intervened to calm the Crown Prince. She told him to postpone the matter as their father was having a heart problem. But Dipendra was saired to be soagitated that he slapped her and left in a huff. Minutes later he reportedly came back with weapons and shot everybody dead. It was over inseconds.

The royal family wanted the Crown Prince marry a Shah woman with whom too he was said to have had an affair."He used to tell his close friends about the affair, but always emphasised that he would marry Devyani. During this fateful evening meeting, the King's mother had also reportedly spoken out against his choice of the bride. They are said to have warned him going against the royal protocol on marriages".