1.
In keeping with the tradition of regular family gatherings held at Narayanhity
Royal Palace on the third Friday of every month, such a gathering
was organised on Friday June 1, 2001 also. His Majesty King Birenda Bir
Bikram Shah Dev, Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah,
Her Majesty Queen Mother Ratna Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, His Royal Highness
Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah and His Royal Highness Prince Nirajan
Bir Bikram Shah were present at the gathering held at the Tribhvan
Sadan of Narayanhity Royal Palace as were all the 24 invitees including
other members of The Former Royal Family and royal relatives, except Her Royal
Highness Princess Prekchhya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, Kumar Sri Mohan
Bahadur Shahi and Raj Kumari Bimala Singh, according to a letter of the
principal secretariat of His Majesty the King dated June 8, 2001.
2. His Royal Highness Crown
Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (hereafter HRH the Crown Prince) arrived
first at the venue of the gathering at Tribhuvan Sadan at 7.30 pm,
it is confirmed by royal ADC Gajenda Bohara and waiters. Thereafter,
the other invitees arrived one after another by 8 pm, it is apparent. At
8 pm, HRH the Crown Prince proceeded to Mahendra-Manzil by his car
and conveyed Her Majesty the Queen Mother, with himself at the wheel, to
Tribhuvan Sadan, the venue of the gathering, it is also apparent. Her Majesty
the Queen Mother then remained with Her Royal Highnesss Princess
Helen Shaha in the small chamber known as Sano Baithak to the east of the
billiard hall. After The Former Royal Family members and royal relatives
arrived, His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (hereafter
HM the King) finally arrived directly at Tribhuvan Sadan on foot from his
office around 8.30 pm, had a darshan of Her Majesty the Queen Mother
and after some pleasantries proceeded towards the billiard room,
it has come to light from eye witnesses to the sequence of
events.
3. HRH the Crown Prince
at 7.30 pm, played billiards by himself for some time at the billiard
room at Tribhuvan Sadan and in the course of that drank one
or two pegs of Famous Grouse whisky neat, according to HRH the Crown Prince's
ADC Gajendra Bohara and royal relatives Maheshwar Singh and Rabi Shumsher
J.B.R.. A little before HM the King arrived at the Tribhuvan Sadan
(some l0-l2 minutes before), four individuals including HRH Prince Nirajan,
HRH Prince Paras, Kumar Gorakh and Dr Rajeev saw HRH the Crown Prince
swaying, unable to hold himself upright, and wondering if it was
not the effect of the whisky, they took HRH the Crown Prince to his bed
chamber inside Tribhuvan Sadan, it is learnt from eye witnesses.
4. While in the billiard
room HRH the Crown Prince had ordered his ADC Gajendra Bohara by
mobile phone at 8.l9 pm to fetch cigarettes and Gajendra Bohara,
as ordered, brought a special kind of cigarette prepared with a mixture
of hashish and another unnamed black substance as per an order to
royal orderly Ram Krishan KC, and proceeded to the east door
of the billiard hall and entrusted them to HRH Prince Paras, according
to the said Ram Krishna. HRH the Crown Prince himself made arrangements
for the hashish and the black substance, it was not known from where it
could have come, and since about a year ago he had been making such cigarettes,
orderly of HRH the Crown Prince Ram Krishna KC said before the committee.
Orderly Ram Krishna KC's version has been corroborated by royal
ADCs to HRH the Crown Prince Gajendra Bohara and Raju Karki
who said before the committee that HRH the Crown Prince used to smoke
such cigarettes.
5. According to particulars
received from the telecommunications corporation, it is learnt from
the Publication there that HRH the Crown Prince talked to Debyani Rana
for one minute l4 seconds on his mobile no. 98l02l5l3 at 8.l2 pm
on June 1, 2001 through mobile no. 98l024339 of Usha Rana,
and the second time Debyani Rana talked to HRH the Crown Prince for
4 minutes l4 seconds on mobile no. 98l02l5l3l from mobile no. 0l42305l
at 9.l9 pm. Finally, at 8.39 HRH the Crown Prince talked to Debyabni
Rana for 32 seconds on his mobile no. 98l02l5l3 through
mobile no. 98l024339, according to the same particulars. HRH the
Crown Prince had close ties with Miss Debyani Rana of Maharajgunj,
according to royal ADCs Gajendra Bohara and Raju Karki as well as
Supriya Shaha, a friend of HRH the Crown Prince. Debyani's mother
and father themselves pointed out in the course of inquiries before the
committee that there was contact between HRH the Crown Prince and
Debyani Rana. That there was a close relationship between HRH the
Crown Prince and herself was confirmed by Devyani Rana herself (in a tape
recording of her voice) when questioned by Royal Nepalese Ambassador
to India Dr Bhekh Bahadur Thapa as empowered by the committee.
6. Miss Debyani Rana said
as matters concerning HRH the Crown Prince were her personal affair she
did not want to say anything about them and that at 8.25 pm when
the exchanges were taking place with HRH the Crown Prince his speech
sounded slurred so further exchange could not take place, adding
that "the voice of HRH the Crown Prince was somewhat slurred, is
he somewhat unwell? She wondered and phoned HRH the Crown Prince's ADC
Gajendra Bohara at his office and Raju Karki at his home urging
them to go have a look at the bed chamber".
7. After Miss Debyani Rana
phoned ADC gajenda bohara and Raju Karki passed the message to Gajendra
Boraha by phone, Ramkrishna KC, orderly to HRH the Crown Prince,
and dware ama Jamuna Adhikari, as ordered by Bohara, reached the
bed chamber of HRH the Crown Prince whereupon they found HRH
the Crown Prince prone on the ground and trying to undo the clothing
on the upper part of his body. They helped take off the clothing
and after that HRH the Crown Prince proceeded to the bathroom.
Jamuna Adhikari also herd retching noises coming from the bathroom
and after coming out of the bathroom HRH the Crown Prince ordered
them both to go to their respective rooms to sleep, according to
the dware ama and orderly Ramkrishna KC.
8. At 8.39 in the evening
HRH the Crown Prince talked on his mobile phone no. 98l02l5l3
to Miss Debyani Rana on mobile no 98l024339 for 32 seconds
as evident from records at the telecommunications corporation
and this has been conceded by Miss Rana adding that HRH the Crown
Prince had said "I am now about to sleep", "good night, we'll
talk tomorrow".
9. After the phone contact
with Miss Debyani Rana, HRH the Crown Prince put on army combat dress and
came out of the bed chamber with weapons where he was seen by HRH
Crown Prince's orderly Ramkrishna who thought the Crown Prince
was about to go out and said "shall the emergency bag be brought sire",
whereupon HRH the Crown Prince replied "it's not necessary
now", according to orderly Ramkrishna.
10. HRH the Crown Prince
in combat fatigues and armed on both sides with rifle and revolver
proceeded towards the billiard hall, according to 'boys' Bachuram
KC who saw HRH the Crown Prince from the eastern room of the dining hall
adjoining the billiard hall.
11.
HRH the Crown Prince in combat fatigues entered the billiard hall and fired
at the ceiling and west wall with a 9 mm Caliber MP-5K automatic
sub-machine gun and then fired rat-tat-tat at His Majesty the King who
was then standing near the east end of the billiard table talking
to others. All the while HRH the Crown Prince moved back and came
out of the billiard room, threw the l2 bore SPAS l2-L FRENCH SPA gun near
the stairs to the north of the inner garden edge east of the
hall, then entered the billiard room again aiming the 5.56
caliber Colt M-l6 A2 rifle with light and telescope and fired
rat-tat-tat again at His Majesty the King, Kumar Gorakh Shumsher
Rana, Sri Dhirendra Shah and Kumar Khadga Bikram Shah, then moved
back to reach the door, and again advanced to fire
indiscriminately a third time hitting HRH Princess Shruti
Rajya Laxmi Devi Rana, HRH Princess Sharada Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, HRH
Princess Shanti Rajya Laxmi Rana and HRH Princess Jayanti Shah as well
as others. HRH the Crown Prince moved back out of the billiard hall
and to the east towards the inner garden, according to HRH Princess Shova,
HRH Prince Paras, Kumar Gorakh, Ketaki Chestar, Rabi Shumsher, Dr
Rajeev Shahi and Maheshwar Kumar Singh who were present at the site.
12. As HRH the Crown Prince moved
back towards the inner garden to the east after firing indiscriminately
at the billiard hall a third time, a female figure in red sari was
seen giving chase in that direction, as seen by 'boys' Santa Bahadur
Khadka among others from the dinning room to the north adjoining
the billiard hall, Khadka said. HRH Prince Nirajan followed
Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah (hereafter Her Majesty
the Queen) via the pathway from the billiard room towards the inner
garden to the east to a small convergence point between the pathway from
the garden to the bed chamber in Tribhuvan Sadan and the pathway to the
shed to the east, according to Mrs Ketaki Chestar among others,
and shots were fired from north to south after crossing a ladder there
and while standing at the small meadow, going by observation of the
site including the state of the empty cartridge shells and
bullet marks on the wall to the south. HRH Prince Nirajan was found
laying prone in an unconscious state with the head to
the east and Major Bishnu Khadka and others carried HRH the Prince
and brought him outside, put him in a car and took him to hospital,
according to Major Bishnu Khadka among others.
13. According to royal ADCs, after
the firing at the billiard hall the royal ADCs sitting in the inner room
of the ADC office on the right hand side of the main gate of Tribhuvan
Sadan heard the sound of firing and the alarm "call the doctors soon..."
and entered the billiard hall by breaking the glass of the door , which
is to the south of the hall and always remains closed, to immediately
start rescue work from the hall. Royal ADC Colonel Sundar Pratap Rana,
among others, entered the hall, carried His Majesty the King, who
was unconscious, out to the car and drove to the military hospital,
Chhauni, the ADCs said.
14. It was seen during the observation
of the site of the incident that brain tissues, a few teeth and jaws, red
tika, two ear pins, broken pieces of red glass bangles and blood
stains were scattered here and there at the place where Her Majesty
the Queen was said to have been lying after indiscriminate firing at Her
Majesty at the upper part (seventh) step of the inner staircase leading
to the bed chamber of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, which can be
reached after crossing a bridge over a pond, turning to the north
and passing through the main gate that leads to the bed chamber upstairs.
15. Major Bishnu Khadka and the royal
ADCs, who was involved in the rescue work, also told the committee that
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was found lying on his back and
gurgling to the south of the small bridge over the little pond at
the garden in front of Tribhuvan Sadan where the bed chamber of His
Royal Highness the Crown Prince is situated. During the observation
of the site of the incident, a 9mm. caliber Glock Ges. pistol, which His
Royal Highness the Crown Prince was said to be in possession of,
and empty cartridges discharged from the pistol were found in the water
of the pond in the eastern side. Also during the observation a 5.56
caliber M-16 A2 rifle was found on a small lawn to the south of the same
place.
16. After the incident at the above
mentioned billiard hall, and at the garden to the east of the hall and
the staircase leading to the bed chamber, Royal ADCs and other security
personnel rushed the victims to Shree Birendra Military Hospital,
Chhauni. The committee has received the following information regarding
the time they reached the hospital and their condition at that time:
(a)
His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was pronounced dead upon
arrival at Birendra Military
Hospital at 9:15 in the evening.
(b)
Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was pronounced dead upon
arrival at Birendra Military
Hospital at 9:15 in the evening
(c)
His Royal Highness Prince Nirajan Bir Bikram Shah was pronounced dead upon
arrival at Birendra Military
Hospital at 9:15 in the evening.
(d)
Her Royal Highness Princess Sruti Rajya Laxmi Devi Rana, who reached Birendra
Military Hospital at 9:20 in
the evening, was pronounced dead at the hospital at 9:55 the same evening.
(e)
Her Royal Highness Princess Shanti Rajya Laxmi Devi Singh was pronounced
dead upon arrival at Birendra
Military Hospital at 9:30 in the evening.
(f)
Her Royal Highness Princess Sharada Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was pronounced
dead upon arrival at Birendra
Military Hospital at 9:30 in the evening.
(g)
Her Royal Highness Princess Jayanti Rajya Laxmi Shah was pronounced dead
upon arrival at Birendra Military
Hospital at 9:30 in the evening.
(h)
Kumar Khadga Bikram Shah was pronounced dead upon arrival at Birendra Military
Hospital at 9:35 in the evening.
(i)
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, who reached
Birendra Military Hospital at
9:24 P.M. on June 1, 2001, was pronounced dead at 3:45 A.M. at the hospital
on June 4, 2001.
(j)
Mr. Dhirendra shah, who reached Birendra Military Hospital at 9:24 P.M.
on June 1, 2001, was pronounced
dead at 5:57 P.M. at the hospital on June 4, 2001.
17.
No information regarding the death of anyone in the incident other than
the 10 (ten) mentioned above has been received.
18. Reports from the hospital confirm
that Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, Her Royal Highness
Princess Shobha Rajya Laxmi Shahi, Kumar Gorakh Shumsher J. B. Rana
and Mrs. Ketaki Chestar, all victims of the incident, have sustained
serious injuries.
19. According to a letter dated June
10, 2001 received from Birendra Military Hospital, Chhauni, when His Royal
Highness the Crown Prince was taken to the hospital immediately after
the incident, HRH the Crown Prince was wearing black army boots,
a camouflage (combat) army jacket and trousers, black leather gloves, black
stockings and a camouflage vest. The committee took possession of
the clothing, gloves and boots for inspection and after a laboratory test
on the blood stains and some yellowish substances on them experts
concerned concluded that the stains were of blood group "B". Among
the deceased, Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince
also have been found to have blood group "B".
20. The committee has also received
a letter from the hospital, which states that upon arrival at the hospital
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was wearing gloves and the gloves
have been handed in to the committee. No gloves other than the single
pair (of gloves) in question have been found at the site of the incident
and the hospital.
21.
(a)
Forty-seven (47) cartridge cases fired from a 5.56 caliber colt m-16 A2
with weapon number A0073943 (commando)
automatic rifle have been recovered. It has been learnt from experts concerned
that the rifle can fire 700 to
1,000 bullets per minute.
(b)
Experts concerned are of the opinion that the 29 cartridge cases found
at the site of the incident were
fired from a 9mm. caliber MP-5 K automatic sub-machine gun, which can fire
up to 900 bullets per minute.
(c)
It has been learnt from experts concerned that the two (2) cartridge cases
found at the site of the incident
were fired from a 9mm. caliber MP-5 K automatic Ges.m.b.H pistol. The cartridges
were found in the pond near the
small bridge where His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is said to have
been found lying injured by rescuers.
(d)
Captain Madhav Bhandari told the committee at its office that the M-16
gun with no. A0073943 mentioned
in chapter (a) was issued as per the demand made by the Royal Guard Military
Police, the Royal Palace on 056/5/31
Bikram Era and handed in to the Royal Palace armory (kotkhana) after acquiring
it from the Royal Nepalese Army
arsenal. In course of his interrogation, ADC to His Royal Highness the
Crown Prince Gajendra Bohara
mentioned that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince carried this weapon
when he went on trekking, and
there was a practice of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince taking weapons
directly from the Royal Palace
armory (kotkhana) whenever His Royal Highness the Crown Prince so wished.
(e)
It has also been found that one pistol and a 9mm. caliber gun were issued
as per the demand from the Royal
ADC office, the Royal Palace on 2053/1/27 Bikram Era and 2056/7/28 Bikram
Era. According to ADC to His
Royal Highness the Crown Prince Gajendra Bohara, the weapons were in HRH
the Crown Prince's possession.
(f)
Details received from the Royal Palace show that the 9mm. G19 Glock pistol
with no. YY 334 was also issued
from the arsenal to hand it in to His Royal Highness Prince Nirajan.
(g)
Neither the opinions of experts concerned nor the cartridges recovered
confirmed that the 9mm. caliber
Glock pistol found at the billiard hall and the 12 bore single barrel shot
gun recovered from a corner south-west
of the lawn were fired during the incident.
22.
No entrance to the site of the incident other than the main gate which
houses the ADC office inside Tribhuvan Sadan at the Narayanhity Royal
Palace and a small closed gate in the eastern part were found during the
observation of the site of the incident. A sketch of the site of
the incident is in annex..... to this report.
23.
That bullet injuries were the cause of death of all killed in the incident,
which took place at the Narayanhity Royal Palace on June 1, 2001,
has been substantiated also by the opinion of the physicians concerned
of Birendra Military Hospital, Chhauni. Also the injured said in
course of interrogations that they sustained the injuries from gun shots.
Information received from Birendra Military Hospital also revealed that
gun shots were the cause of the injuries sustained by victims of
the incident currently at the hospital.
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