Kathmandu, June 6: King Gyanendra Wednesday designated the terms of reference and powers of an inquiry commission he earlier formed to investigate the carnage that killed or injured 14 members of the royal family and immediate members at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace Friday night, an announcement said Wednesday.
The Commission has been empowered with sweeping powers to inspect the venue of the shooting, interview doctors, hostesses ,survivors, others and conduct ballistic tests, a Royal Palace announcement said. The three member Commission headed by Chief Justice Keshab Prasad Upadhaya was empowered by the new King Monday to probe “the sad incident and present real facts.”
The Commission, which also includes Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhatt, has again been given three days to complete and present its finding after beginning work. The King also accepted the resignation of leader of the main opposition in Parliament Madav Nepal from the investigating authority on a technicality, the same announcement said.
Nepal has assured his party’s (UML) co-operation to the commission, the announcement said. Nepal Tuesday raised a hornet’s nest by refusing to join the Commission arguing flimsily the government and not the King should have appointed the inquiry body. Mention was not made if Nepal is being replaced by another colleague.
Managing Director of Kantipur Publications, Kailash Siroyah, Publications Director, Binod Gyawali and Editor of Kantipur Yubaraj Ghimire were taken to Hanuman Dhoka police station Wednesday afternoon for questioning after arrest warrants were presented to them hours after the publication of a controversial article by senior underground Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai alleging foreign hands in the palace shoot-out, a publication source said.
Arrests were also issued to Dr.Bhattarai and Chairman of Publisher of Kantipur Publications, Hem Raj Gyawali, he said. The publishing house brings out two widely circulated daily newspapers in English and Nepali and other popular vernacular publications. Bhattarai is underground and Gyawali has not been arrested as yet, he said.
The government Wednesday took exception to the publication of the article entitled “No Acceptability to the New Kotparba'” by Dr.Bhattarai as government attempted to scorch rumours of conspiracies behind the shoot-out; the rebel leader, whose whereabouts are not known, is a frequent contributor to Kathmandu publications espousing Maoism. The article also argues the shoot-out was not the handiwork of the then Crown Prince Dipendra.