June 1 in History
2001 – Nepalese royal massacre: Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal shoots and kills several members of his family including his father and mother
Nine members of the royal family, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, were killed in a mass shooting during a gathering of the royal family at the Narayanhiti Palace, the then-residence of the Nepalese monarchy on this day in 2001. A government-appointed inquiry team named Crown Prince Dipendra, who slipped into a coma after shooting himself in the head, as perpetrator of the massacre.
Dipendra was declared King of Nepal while comatose, but died in hospital three days after the massacre without regaining consciousness. Birendra’s brother Gyanendra then became king.
Dipendra’s motive for the murders is unknown, and controversy surrounds the circumstances of the massacre, and even today, with the abolition of the monarchy following the 2006 revolution, many questions remain unresolved. These include the apparent lack of security at the event; the absence of the Prince Gyanendra, Dipendra’s uncle who succeeded him; Dipendra’s self-inflicted head-wound located at his left temple, despite being right-handed; and the duration of the subsequent investigation, which lasted for only two weeks and did not involve any major forensic analysis, despite an offer by Scotland Yard to carry one out.
-Wikipedia/ENCL
Photo Caption- Nepalese Royal Family – Reuters
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