Dipendra killed King Birendra

June 7, 2001
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Kathmandu, June 7: An intoxicated Crown Prince Diprendra pumped bullets into his father King  Birendra three times  with assault weapons and killed him and other members of the royal family, including Queen Aishwarya in a shoot-out at the Royal Palace Friday, an eyewitness survivor said.

“I jumped to help the King as he was shot in the neck. My first job was to stop the bleeding. The King told me he was also shot in the stomach,” Dr. Capt. Rajiv Shahi , an eyewitness survivor and royal relative told a crowded news briefing Thursday at the Birendra Military Hospital where the injured are undergoing treatment.

“He (Dipendra) is a murderer. He shot the King,” the son-in-law of Dhirendra Shah, the youngest brother of the late King said. “All this happened within two minutes. He came in and out of the room three times,” he said.

Queen Aishwarya and Prince Nirajan were shot dead at a garden between the reception room and Dipendra’s living quarters, the survivor who was not injured said. “The Queen confronted him (Dipendra) at the garden. Prince Nirajan tried to save her and was shot in the back. I did not witness that scene,” the Army doctor said.

Dipendra shot dead nine  royals and injured four others inside the reception where he moved freely in and out. Dipendra, who was declared King after the regicide, shot himself at a bridge linking his living quarters with the garden, Shahi said. All other killings occurred at the reception room.