Home Minister Orders Re-investigation into 25-Year-Old Royal Massacre

Kathmandu. Home Minister Sudhan Gurung, assuming office on Tuesday, decided to advance the investigation process into the 25-year-old royal massacre. The decision states, 'To study the investigation reports submitted earlier regarding the Narayanhiti massacre that occurred on Jestha 19, 2058 BS, and to proceed with further investigation.'

In the royal massacre, then King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, Crown Prince Dipendra, Prince Nirajan, Princess Shruti, and 10 others lost their lives.

A high-level committee led by then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Keshav Prasad Upadhyay and then Speaker Taranath Ranabhat had investigated and submitted a report. The committee concluded that Crown Prince Dipendra, intoxicated by alcohol, was responsible for the incident.

As per the Home Minister's decision, the report will be studied, and further investigation into the incident will be conducted. It is not yet clear whether a separate committee or a commission will be formed for such an investigation. Anand Kafle, spokesperson (joint secretary) of the Home Ministry, stated that while the decision was made at the Home Minister's level in principle, the method of proceeding with the investigation is yet to be determined.

As the incident occurred 25 years ago, it is not easy to ascertain the facts now. According to the Muluki Criminal Code, the statute of limitations for murder investigations where evidence is not found is 20 years, after which the case is taken to court. As per Section 187 of the Muluki Criminal Code 2074 BS, if the identity of the accused is known, investigation and prosecution can be carried out at any time. The police, responsible for investigating such cases, must collect and document evidence found at the crime scene and the scene inspection report. Since no complaint was registered and no post-mortem was conducted for the royal massacre, the police did not enter the crime scene.

Former DIG Hemant Malla said, 'The police did not get to enter the royal massacre scene. Therefore, evidence-based investigation will be very difficult now.'

Those who worked at the palace at the time and were close to the royal family are explaining the royal massacre in their own ways and publishing books. Former DIG Malla stated that if the police are given the responsibility to investigate, only then can the exact facts of the incident be obtained. He said, 'In terms of storytelling, clear facts may emerge, but it does not seem possible to provide investigation results that can lead to prosecution.'

Police officials say that if investigation officers question individuals like Gorakha Shamsher Rana, who lost family members in the royal massacre and was present at the scene when the incident occurred, and the then Muma Badamaharani Ratna Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah, the exact facts could be revealed.

Former AIG Surendra Bahadur Shah stated that the lack of investigation into the royal massacre was due to the incident being treated politically. Speaking on the program 'Ani Aba' with journalist Sudhir Sharma, Shah said, 'The royal massacre was not viewed professionally.'

Shah was the ADC to the then King Birendra from 2047 to 2049 BS when he was a police inspector. Shah stated that Muma Badamaharani Ratna, who reached the military hospital in Chhauni at 1 AM on the night of the incident, did not even look at Dipendra. Shah said that he and the then IGP, the late Pradip Shamsher Jabra, stayed at the Chhauni hospital all night after learning about the incident.