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With the palace's consent, survivors of the royal massacre are beginning to speak out, confirming that it was Crown Prince Dipendra who mowed down eight royals. However, all versions leave several questions.
Captain Rajiv Rai Shahi, son-in-law of the late Prince Dhirendra, told a group of journalists that it was a drunk Dipendra who shot dead all royals in over 15 minutes, and with several bursts of his assault rifles. Shahi did not answer questions from journalists, while not giving any explanation about why Dipendra suddenly began to shoot the royals.
Captain Shahi said the royals had begun to gather at the L-shaped drawing room of Dipendra's living cottage in the palace by about 19:30 hours that Friday. At about 20:45, Dipendra came in -- he was "drunk and stuttering".
He was taken to his bedroom by Rajiv Sahi, Dipendra's younger brother Niranjan and King Gyanendra's son Paras.
"By about 2100 hours he came back in battle fatigues" with assault rifles in his hands and "first the king was shot down", Shahi said.
"There was a lot of shouting and chaos," Shahi said. He heard someone shout that the king had been shot.
Shahi rushed to attend to the king, and with his coat tried to cover his throat, from where blood was oozing out. The king told Shahi that he had been shot in his stomach too. "I told him not to worry, you will be okay," he said.
During that period, Dipendra had gone out of the room. However, he "returned four or five times", each time firing a burst of bullets, killing more members of the family.
Some time during the chaos, Dipendra had also stepped out into the garden with his mother, Queen Aishwarya, and younger brother Niranjan. "I don't know what exactly happened there," Shahi said.
Another royal family member told rediff.com that it was in the garden that Dipendra fired a volley of bullets at the queen. In his attempt to protect the queen, Niranjan took most of the bullets on himself and collapsed.
Shahi said that he managed to "escape through a back window" and call the personal guards of the king.
Shahi described the massacre with the help of a map on a drawing board.
He said that each time Dipendra entered the room, he fired a burst of bullets and went out, again to return to fire more volleys. He did not say if there was any argument between Dipendra and any family member before the shooting.
The royal family member who spoke to rediff.com said Dipendra is believed to have visited X-Zone disco, a new joint frequented by Kathmandu's rich and famous, on the evening of the massacre.
Devyani Rana, Dipendra's girl friend was with him at the disco, he said. It is at the disco that Dipendra apparently got drunk, before he returned home alone.
When he returned to the palace, most of the royals had already assembled there. While the king, queen and his sisters were seated around at a corner of the room, the youngsters, including Niranjan, Paras and Shahi, had moved to a small bar in a corner, Shahi said.
According to reliable sources, the palace decided to field Captain Shahi, an army doctor for journalists to dispel 'doubts' about the present king and his son.
Many Nepalis believes that the new king and his son are part of the conspiracy which eliminated the entire royal family.
Death of a Monarch: The Complete Coverage
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