Testimony Regarding Narayanhiti Royal Palace Incident

Statement given by then Shahzada Paras Bir Bikram Shah to the high-level committee formed to investigate the incident of June 1, 2001, at Narayanhiti Royal Palace:

His Royal Highness Shahzada Paras Bir Bikram Shah

Committee: We received information that the government was aware of the family gathering at the Royal Palace on the 19th of June. It would be easier to submit the report if we received information about what the government observed and experienced?

Answer: Well, we arrived there a little after seven-thirty, around 7:40. Everyone had already arrived. Muma, I, my sister, Himani, and we arrived a little late. Around 7:40, when we arrived, the Crown Prince seemed to have finished some drinks and snacks. I thought I'd just have a Coke. 'Just Coke!' 'I'm having whiskey,' was the command. It was okay at that time, but it seemed quite strong. While talking, the topic was about this marriage. I spoke with Muma. I also spoke with Muma, and both said no. 'I will talk to father on Sunday,' was the command. That's what was being discussed, and by then it was eight o'clock. Everyone was served drinks. It was eight o'clock, Muma, Muma Badamaharani arrived, driven by the government itself, and drinks were served again. Around eight-thirty, His Majesty the King arrived. After finishing office, His Majesty arrived. At that time, brother was with us inside. He was in the same room where the incident happened. He seemed quite unwell, as if unconscious, and fell down on the floor. I, Gorakh, Nirajan, and Rajiv lifted him and said, 'Your Majesty, this is not right, Big Uncle has arrived. We will take him upstairs.' The four of us took him upstairs to a small room. We couldn't let him lie on the throne. There's a small bed under the throne, we laid him there. It was around eight-thirty, maybe 8:31-32. We came down. We turned off the lights and came down. After coming down, His Majesty the King, Muma Badamaharani, where the government was seated, a meeting was going on with Helen Shah. We hadn't even had a chance to pay our respects, we were waiting outside. The meeting inside lasted about half an hour, maximum half an hour. After that, we paid our respects and came here. His Majesty the King and Muma Badamaharani also arrived here. They arrived in the same room where this incident happened. His Majesty the King had just been served a drink. We hadn't even cheered, His Majesty had just been served a drink. Meanwhile, we were in this corner, sir. We didn't see His Royal Highness arrive. We didn't see His Royal Highness arrive, we were in the corner. I...

Committee: You mean near the chair where Badamaharani sat?

Answer: No, it's the carrom board.

Committee: Carrom board this?

Answer: Carrom board, it's the carrom board.

Committee: Behind the bar?

Answer: Yes, behind the bar, that... that's the corner where we usually sit. We Youngsters, so that we wouldn't be seen smoking from there, we usually sit in that corner. And I didn't see anyone arrive there, I only knew about the arrival when the first gunshot was fired. There was a loud noise, about 3 rounds were fired. When His Majesty arrived, 3 shots were fired. One went up, one went straight. When fired like that, one went straight, one went up. It seems like 3 rounds, as far as I remember. Even the sound seemed like 3 rounds. 'What did His Majesty do?' was the command, bang bang, one in this direction, one in that direction. His Majesty fell. Dr. Rajiv and I were together. The two of us ran. Dr. Rajiv managed to run to where His Majesty was, sir, but Adhirajkumari Shobha didn't let me go, 'Stay where you are, don't move,' was the command. Then I turned back and told the sisters to lie down, 'You all lie down here.' Gunshots started firing wildly here, 'Everyone lie down,' so I put everyone in the line crossing. The two senior members there, Mahesh Kumar and Ravi Shamsher, were also next to me. I put them in the line crossing too. Meanwhile, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince arrived again. What I saw was, sir, I saw His Majesty being shot. I saw Dhirendra Sarkar being shot. 'Baba, enough, you've done enough damage,' was said the second time he turned back. Dhirendra Sarkar said, 'You've done damage.' At that time, bang bang, another one hit this way. One or two, those were also for Dhirendra Sarkar, I can't remember clearly. He fell. Dhirendra Sarkar fell. As soon as he fell, then other people started falling one after another. I can't say clearly. I had turned back and was telling the sisters to lie down. I saw His Majesty fall, here. Kumar Khadga had fallen, Kumar Gorakh had fallen over there. Those three fell with Big Uncle right at the beginning. Those three fell with the first automatic weapon, the MP-5 fire. His Majesty arrived outside, then arrived again. Then that small weapon, the MP-5, was thrown away. His Majesty the King picked up that weapon. He had picked up that weapon. Adhirajkumari Shobha arrived and took that weapon, removed the magazine. She placed it on the floor there. Now, what she thought was that there might be only one. I also saw brother carrying others. He was carrying three more, there were four weapons. One was a handgun on the left side, the handgun was on the left side. On the right side was the MP-5. He fired the M16 and the other one. That's automatic. Bang bang, he shot Big Uncle, he shot Younger Uncle, Khadga Bikram fell here, Gorakh fell there. Those three fell in the first attack, fired somewhere and arrived outside. Then we were somewhere. I didn't see what happened outside. He arrived inside again. Arrived and... Big Uncle...

Committee: There wasn't a long gap in time, was there?

Answer: No, not even a minute, maximum 30 seconds, maximum 30 seconds. He went in and out, arrived inside, arrived outside. Big Uncle was shot in the head with the M16, the M16. Then he arrived here, Kumar Khadga fell, Kumar Khadga fell right below that bar.

...Sir, over there Gorakh, Gorakh was lying below the snooker board in the middle... I didn't see Shruti arrive. I went to Gorakh and said, 'Baba, you've been hit too.' When I went, he turned back from there, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince arrived. He was lying here, sir. When Kumar Khadga fell, Adhirajkumari Sharda arrived. 'What happened to you? What happened to you?' she arrived and lay down on top. She covered him by lying on top of Kumar Fupaju. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince arrived, bang bang (point blank) bang bang bang. I saw it from here, from the table in this corner, from under the bar, I saw it clearly. He fired. The bullet hit the carpet here. It hit the wood of the table and hit Mahesh Kumar, whom I had placed next to me. The bullet ricocheted and hit him. He was hit. After that, did he arrive outside again? I can't remember clearly, it seems he arrived outside. He came in twice, outside. The third time he arrived inside, here... Shahjadi Jayanti Didi, Ketaki... Shruti, he shot three people. Shruti, the third time... Then he arrived outside, Your Royal Highness. I saw him then, arrived in this corner, that tall table, sir. He arrived in that corner, then directly in our sight... What did you do, sir... We... What did you do? Please... Please go, I pleaded. Otherwise, if he had shot everyone, I would have been there. Mahesh was behind me, Ravi was there, right under the bar. Behind Mahesh is my sister. Behind her was my wife, behind my wife were my three sisters whom I had placed. I had hidden them. One sister was behind that sofa. I had hidden her very well. What I said to brother was, 'What are you doing? We are only here, please... look at everyone one by one and leave.' Then we knew he hadn't shot us. I got up and went. Other people were lying there. 'What happened?' I went to my younger uncle. 'Paras, move my legs, I can't move my legs, help me move my legs.' I moved them a little, but I couldn't feel them. Then he said, 'Look after the children here.' I didn't even see Muma fall. I didn't see Muma either. Adhirajkumari Shanti wasn't there either. Outside, Nirajan... I didn't see that. And when I looked then, Muma was just getting up, she had fallen. Muma was down. Adhirajkumari Shanti was up. Muma had pushed herself up. I helped her up. 'I'm not well, I'm not well,' she said. Blood was coming from her head, she was holding it. The blood from her head was Adhirajkumari Shanti's blood. I thought she had been hit on the head first. It was Adhirajkumari's blood. After that, I asked where she was hit. 'It's here,' was the command. I checked her head, there was nothing. Then I ran to Muma Badamaharani. I had heard firing outside. I thought Muma Badamaharani was in her room. I ran there, and nothing had happened there. I informed them about what happened here. By then, the firing had stopped. When I went, Muma Badamaharani...

Committee: Muma Badamaharani means in that small meeting room...

Answer: Outside that small meeting room. She was there. When I went to see the people, the firing had stopped. When I went to see the people, there was no firing. Firing was going on in the courtyard. It was in the courtyard. I can't say what happened there. I didn't see it. Who was shot, how the incident happened there, who was shot first, who was shot later, I don't know. I didn't see Muma get hit. Hearing now, I only heard that Muma was shot twice from outside, from the back. I don't know that. I can't say what I haven't seen. This is all I saw. After that, I looked at the people, everyone was lying down. 'Move my legs,' they said. I moved my legs. I couldn't see clearly. 'Look after Ketaki Fupu here,' said Younger Uncle. 'I can't move my legs, I need help,' I said. I ran to Afu Muma. Muma Badamaharani was there, there were 3 people, nothing happened there. I ran outside and brought the ADCs inside. The ADCs went outside. When they went outside... they were just arriving. It was almost the same time that I reached outside and the ADCs arrived. Then I went outside and said, 'There are dead people inside, there are injured people. Leave the dead people. Rush the injured people first.' I brought them inside. The injured people, first of all, I picked them up one by one, whoever went first, whoever could be helped, I sent them. There were 5-6 murderers. Whoever came, I kept sending them. Now, brother, to reunite Badamaharani Sarkar and brother, 'Go and search for them,' said three people. Brother's ADC ran and said, 'He shot himself, he shot himself.' Then, where is brother? Brother was also shot. Where is Big Muma? Big Muma is also down. They told me, 'Big Muma has no chance.' I didn't see it. Big Muma has no chance. Brother was groaning and falling. He was hit on the head. 'Let's go,' they said. I put brother and brother together, brother's ADC took him. I sat in front. A driver behind held brother, and another person held brother behind. The two of us, me and two ADCs, and another driver, took them to the hospital. By then, His Majesty the King's vehicle had already left... First of all, there's an ADC named Sundar, he came. He came around, firing was going on there. He couldn't bring other people. I broke the glass of the door and called him. He broke it and came inside and took Big Uncle, His Majesty the King. His Majesty the King was taken first.

Where was Rajiv? What was he doing? I didn't see Rajiv go, sir. I was going back, looking at the people here. I didn't see Rajiv go. First of all, His Majesty the King was taken. After that, I went to see the people. I called the ADCs myself, broke the glass of the door, and took His Majesty the King's vehicle. This is all I saw.

Committee: How many weapons did you see being used?

Answer: As far as I remember, one M16 was used. A Glock was used. Four were used. I didn't see the 12 bore fired. I didn't see its firing. I saw other firings. I saw the M16 fired.

Committee: How about the Crown Prince?

Answer: According to what I heard, brother shot himself, on the bridge.

Committee: What was the reason behind this?

Answer: It's about this marriage, sir. As far as I know, it's about the marriage. This started during the birthday celebration last year. After the party, it happened at the same place, at the same place. When we came and talked there, those who were against, those who were with... brother and I were always with. Brother was someone who would do whatever was commanded. Brother and I were with. Now Rajiv was with Dr. Shruti, Gorakh, and other sisters were against the marriage. This seems to be the main issue. This seems to be the main issue.

Committee: But was that matter discussed that day?

Answer: I wasn't spoken to. As I told you earlier, as soon as I arrived, what was the wish? I spoke with Muma, I spoke with Afu Muma, and it was not possible. 'Now I will get to see father on Sunday, I will talk then,' that's all I was told.

Committee: Was the mood good?

Answer: It seemed good. The mood was very good. We never thought anything like that would happen. Everyone was laughing as if it were a joke, even when we were down there.

Committee: Who took the government upstairs?

Answer: Sir, the four of us took him. One person couldn't do it!

Committee: Did you carry him?

Answer: Two on the side, I supported from behind, lifting Gorakh and brother, Rajiv and brother, the two on the side, I held from behind and took him up. Not Gorakh, Gorakh was coming behind. Up...

Committee: Did you lay him down?

Answer: We didn't lay him on the main throne downstairs. We laid him down. I told brother, 'Take the weapons away, it will be difficult.' ...It's probably not needed...

Committee: From that room?

Answer: From the room. From the room upstairs. Below the main throne, there was another bed... like a ground bed, we laid him there and came down.

Committee: The weapons?

Answer: Weapons, well, I haven't seen them being carried. MP-5, I haven't seen where it was. As for the M16, there are shelves there, as soon as you enter, there are shelves.

Committee: Were there cartridges in it too?

Answer: Yes, it's on the shelf. It must be... in the box, inside the box. I saw it on the shelf. That was the M16. I recognize... him too, sir, he always used to fire it. Who could have predicted something like this?

Committee: Is there anything else the government should remember?

Answer: If I remember, I am trying to remember. It happened so fast that I did everything I could. I did what I could. I tried to save people. Even then, I feel I could have saved more people. Thinking about it now. What I did feels insufficient.

Committee: Okay.

(Excerpt from the report of the high-level committee formed regarding the June 1, 2001 incident at Narayanhiti Royal Palace.)