June 14, 2001
The following is the unofficial translation text of a synopsis of the High Level Committee’s report on the Royal Palace incident:
In the course of collecting facts about the incident that transpired at Narayanhity Royal Palace the night of June l, 200l, this high level committee carried out an observation of the site of the incident, collected physical items and materials and subjected these to scientific tests, and interrogated eye witnesses, those affected by the incident, and royal guards as well as individuals involved in the relief work and doctors involved in the treatment. Besides this, inquiries were made with individuals where this was thought necessary on the basis of facts that came to light from people with whom inquiries were made in the course of the investigations, and necessary records and documents were sent for from places concerned. From investigations made on that basis the following facts have emerged:-
10. HRH the Crown Prince in combat fatigues and armed on both sides with rifle and revolver proceeded towards the billiard hall, according to ‘boys’ Bachuram KC who saw HRH the Crown Prince from the eastern room of the dining hall adjoining the billiard hall.
11. HRH the Crown Prince in combat fatigues entered the billiard hall and fired at the ceiling and west wall with a 9 mm Caliber MP-5K automatic sub-machine gun and then fired rat-tat-tat at His Majesty the King who was then standing near the east end of the billiard table talking to others. All the while HRH the Crown Prince moved back and came out of the billiard room, threw the l2 bore SPAS l2-L FRENCH SPA gun near the stairs to the north of the inner garden edge east of the hall, then entered the billiard room again aiming the 5.56 caliber Colt M-l6 A2 rifle with light and telescope and fired rat-tat-tat again at His Majesty the King, Kumar Gorakh Shumsher Rana, Sri Dhirendra Shah and Kumar Khadga Bikram Shah, then moved back to reach the door, and again advanced to fire indiscriminately a third time hitting HRH Princess Shruti Rajya Laxmi Devi Rana, HRH Princess Sharada Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, HRH Princess Shanti Rajya Laxmi Rana and HRH Princess Jayanti Shah as well as others. HRH the Crown Prince moved back out of the billiard hall and to the east towards the inner garden, according to HRH Princess Shova, HRH Prince Paras, Kumar Gorakh, Ketaki Chestar, Rabi Shumsher, Dr Rajeev Shahi and Maheshwar Kumar Singh who were present at the site.
12. As HRH the Crown Prince moved back towards the inner garden to the east after firing indiscriminately at the billiard hall a third time, a female figure in red sari was seen giving chase in that direction, as seen by ‘boys’ Santa Bahadur Khadka among others from the dinning room to the north adjoining the billiard hall, Khadka said. HRH Prince Nirajan followed Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah (hereafter Her Majesty the Queen) via the pathway from the billiard room towards the inner garden to the east to a small convergence point between the pathway from the garden to the bed chamber in Tribhuvan Sadan and the pathway to the shed to the east, according to Mrs Ketaki Chestar among others, and shots were fired from north to south after crossing a ladder there and while standing at the small meadow, going by observation of the site including the state of the empty cartridge shells and bullet marks on the wall to the south. HRH Prince Nirajan was found laying prone in an unconscious state with the head to the east and Major Bishnu Khadka and others carried HRH the Prince and brought him outside, put him in a car and took him to hospital, according to Major Bishnu Khadka among others.
(a) His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was pronounced dead upon arrival at Birendra Military Hospital at 9:15 in the evening.
(b) Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was pronounced dead upon arrival at Birendra Military Hospital at 9:15 in the evening
(c) His Royal Highness Prince Nirajan Bir Bikram Shah was pronounced dead upon arrival at Birendra Military Hospital at 9:15 in the evening.
(d) Her Royal Highness Princess Sruti Rajya Laxmi Devi Rana, who reached Birendra Military Hospital at 9:20 in the evening, was pronounced dead at the hospital at 9:55 the same evening.
(e) Her Royal Highness Princess Shanti Rajya Laxmi Devi Singh was pronounced dead upon arrival at Birendra Military Hospital at 9:30 in the evening.
(f) Her Royal Highness Princess Sharada Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was pronounced dead upon arrival at Birendra Military Hospital at 9:30 in the evening.
(g) Her Royal Highness Princess Jayanti Rajya Laxmi Shah was pronounced dead upon arrival at Birendra Military Hospital at 9:30 in the evening.
(h) Kumar Khadga Bikram Shah was pronounced dead upon arrival at Birendra Military Hospital at 9:35 in the evening.
(i) His Royal Highness Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, who reached Birendra Military Hospital at 9:24 P.M. on June 1, 2001, was pronounced dead at 3:45 A.M. at the hospital on June 4, 2001.
(j) Mr. Dhirendra shah, who reached Birendra Military Hospital at 9:24 P.M. on June 1, 2001, was pronounced dead at 5:57 P.M. at the hospital on June 4, 2001.
21.
(a) Forty-seven (47) cartridge cases fired from a 5.56 caliber colt m-16 A2 with weapon number A0073943 (commando) automatic rifle have been recovered. It has been learnt from experts concerned that the rifle can fire 700 to 1,000 bullets per minute.
(b) Experts concerned are of the opinion that the 29 cartridge cases found at the site of the incident were fired from a 9mm. caliber MP-5 K automatic sub-machine gun, which can fire up to 900 bullets per minute.
(c) It has been learnt from experts concerned that the two (2) cartridge cases found at the site of the incident were fired from a 9mm. caliber MP-5 K automatic Ges.m.b.H pistol. The cartridges were found in the pond near the small bridge where His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is said to have been found lying injured by rescuers.
(d) Captain Madhav Bhandari told the committee at its office that the M-16 gun with no. A0073943 mentioned in chapter (a) was issued as per the demand made by the Royal Guard Military Police, the Royal Palace on 056/5/31 Bikram Era and handed in to the Royal Palace armory (kotkhana) after acquiring it from the Royal Nepalese Army arsenal. In course of his interrogation, ADC to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Gajendra Bohara mentioned that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince carried this weapon when he went on trekking, and there was a practice of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince taking weapons directly from the Royal Palace armory (kotkhana) whenever His Royal Highness the Crown Prince so wished.
(e) It has also been found that one pistol and a 9mm. caliber gun were issued as per the demand from the Royal ADC office, the Royal Palace on 2053/1/27 Bikram Era and 2056/7/28 Bikram Era. According to ADC to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Gajendra Bohara, the weapons were in HRH the Crown Prince’s possession.
(f) Details received from the Royal Palace show that the 9mm. G19 Glock pistol with no. YY 334 was also issued from the arsenal to hand it in to His Royal Highness Prince Nirajan.
(g) Neither the opinions of experts concerned nor the cartridges recovered confirmed that the 9mm. caliber Glock pistol found at the billiard hall and the 12 bore single barrel shot gun recovered from a corner south-west of the lawn were fired during the incident.
As part of the process of making public the factual details about the tragic incident that took place during a family gathering at the Narayanhity Royal Palace on the night of June 1, 200l, His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev announced the formation of a high level committee with Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya as Chairman and Speaker of Parliament Taranath Rana Bhat and opposition leader in the House of Representatives Madhav Kumar Nepal as members on June 4, 2001, requiring the committee to submit its report in three days.
The resignation submitted to His Majesty the King on June 6, 2001 by member of the committee Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal through its Chairman citing his party’s decision not to work on the high level committee and pledging at the same time his party’s and his own full cooperation in the process of investigation.
The Principal Secretariat of His Majesty the King issued a communique on June 6, 2001establishing the following terms of reference for the committee:
(1) To submit to His Majesty the King a report along with the factual details about the incident that took place at the Royal Palace on June 1, 2001.
(2) The committee will have the following powers:
(a) To observe the site of the incident and collect necessary details along with photographs.
(b) Acquire information from family members and other individuals present at the gathering at the site of incident, individuals providing security and other services at the Royal Palace, doctors and nurses involved in the treatment and other individuals whom the committee deems essential to interview.
(c) To collect and examine the weapons, bullets and other objects concerned with the incident and acquire reports on the test and examinations conducted by the hospital in connection with the incident.
(d) To take necessary help from experts concerned regarding the incident.
(e) To seek the assistance of individuals concerned in connection with the execution of the committee’s duties.
(3) The tenure of office of the committee will be three days starting from the date of initiating its work.
(4) The office of the committee will be set up at a place specified by the Chairman.
(5) The committee will specify its other procedures on its own.
The same communique confirmed the acceptance of the resignation submitted by member of the committee and opposition leader in the House of Representatives Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal.
As stated in the communique issued by the Principal Secretariat of His Majesty the King on June 6, 2001, the office of the committee was set up at the parliament building on parliament premises as specified by the Chairman of the committee. The committee started its work from June 8, 2001.
Information and data were collected in course of gathering factual details about the incident in line with the royal proclamation of His Majesty the King while remaining within the framework of the terms of reference specified in the communique issued by the Principal Secretariat of His Majesty the King. The committee’s modus operandi was worked out in line with the communique which had authorized the committee to specify its own working procedure. Basically the following methodology was adopted for collection of factual details about the incident:
(a) Interrogation of the victims of the incident and Royal Family members present at the site of the incident, royal relatives, and security guards, chefs, attendants, Royal Palace service office bearers, individuals engaged in rescue work, physicians and nurses involved in medical treatment and other individuals who seem to be associated with the incident.
(b) Study of notices and data received from the Principal Secretariat of His Majesty the King and Birendra Military Hospital, and records and documents relating to the medical treatment.
(c) Collection of guns, bullets, cartridges, blood, brain tissue, fingerprints and clothing found at the site of the incident, and study of scientific and chemical test reports by the experts concerned.
(d) Consultations with experts concerned, narcotic drug experts and psychologists on the opinions given by experts about the guns, bullets, blood, brain tissue and finger prints, and on technical matters stated in documents relating to medical treatment collected in course of the investigation.
As it took some more time to complete laboratory tests on various physical substances recovered from the site of the incident in course of submitting a report after following the above methodology and the report could not be completed within the specified time, His Majesty the King extended the tenure of office of the committee by four days starting from June 11, 2001 as per the request of the committee.