Thrity-nine-year-old Shah was arrested from Fulbari resort in Pokhara, where he had fled after getting into a gun brawl at a tourist resort in Chitwan National Park in southern Nepal on Sunday night, the police said. This is for the first time that a member of the erstwhile royal family has been arrested after a countrywide warrant was issued against him for opening fire in the air, following an altercation with daughter and son-in-law of Sujata, who is also the country's foreign minister.
Nine years ago, Nepal's crown prince Dipendra gunned down his father King Birendra and his entire family in an allegedly alcohol-fuelled rage. Though investigations are going on, the reason behind the royal massacre hasn't come out till date.
Paras, as a crown prince, was notorious for his playboy lifestyle and had got into several escapades in the Nepalese capital's night spots. The arrest came after major political parties including Nepali Congress and the Maoists, joined forces to demand that the prince be arrested.
Paras, the only son of the deposed king Gyanendra, in a statement issued on Monday admitted to firing his gun in the air, but defended his action, saying he could not bear to hear insults against his family.
The Republica newspaper reported that a team led by Keshav Pradhan, a senior superintendent of police, had arrested Paras Shah from the Fulbari resort. "We have registered a case and have lunched further investigations," the paper quoted home ministry spokesman Jay Mukunda Khanal.
Nepal's constituent assembly abolished the centuries-old Nepalese monarchy in 2008, forcing King Gyanendra to step down. Paras then moved to Singapore and had only returned to the country just months back.
The gun brawl made it to front page headlines in the Nepalese papers with political parties raising a hue and cry and joining hands against the royalty.
The Nepali Congress has demanded that the government book the former prince who opened fire at Koirala's son-in-law. The party said Paras himself has admitted to opening fire. Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist spokesman Dinanath Sharma said anyone who breaks the law should be brought to justice. "The rule of law must be maintained and those who break the law should get punishment. Action should be taken against the ex-crown prince if found guilty after investigating the case," he said.
Media reports said that the former prince had opened fire at Sujata's son-in-law alleging that the Koirala family hatched a conspiracy to abolish monarchy from the country. It is also learnt that the gun used by Paras at the time does not have valid licence.
Meanwhile, Sujata's son-in-law Subel Chaudhary, a Bangladeshi national, said Paras had opened fire at him after they had some discussions at the resort. 'Initially he was friendly and after consuming some alcohol he asked me to go to the forest to spot a tiger at midnight and when I refused to go, he suddenly opened fire saying "I will kill your wife and son",' reported the Republica.
The government has formed a three-member probe committee led by Deputy Inspector General of Police Ganga Prasad Pandey to investigate into the incident.
