The shocking murder of the king and queen of Nepal by their son Crown Prince Dipendra was triggered by a bitter family row over the woman he wanted to marry, sources close to the royal palace said Saturday.
Although there has been no official confirmation of the circumstances leading to the killing of the royal couple and several other family members, the sources said a furious argument broke out during the family's weekly Friday dinner gathering at the royal palace in Kathmandu.
The crown prince reportedly wanted to marry 22-year-old Devyani Rana, daughter of former foreign and finance minister Pashupati Shumshere Rana, but his choice was strongly opposed by Queen Aishwarya, who had another candidate in mind.
Dipendra had refused to be swayed, revealing that he had secretly already married Devyani in a temple according to Hindu rites.
According to the sources, King Birendra had warned the heir to the throne that unless he bowed to the queen's wishes he would be passed over in the succession, in favour of his younger brother Prince Nirajan.
As the argument at the dinner table peaked, the crown prince apparently stormed from the room.
He went to his private quarters in the palace, armed himself with two semi-automatic weapons, walked back to the dining room and opened fire, before shooting himself.
Reports early Saturday suggested Dipendra had died from his injuries, but an official statement on state-run radio said he was seriously ill in hospital and had been named as the new king.
The statement listed five people who had been shot dead -- the king and queen, their son Prince Nirajan, daughter Princess Shruti and one of the king's cousins, Princess Jayanti Shah.
However, Home Minister Ram Chandra Paudel said a further six people had been killed, including the king's two sisters and one of their husbands – KATHMANDU (AFP)
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