Kathmandu: Nepal's former Crown Prince,
notorious for his playboy lifestyle, was involved in a gun
brawl in an upmarket tourist resort when he allegedly opened
fire in air during a heated argument with the newly-wed
daughter and son-in-law of the Deputy Prime Minister Sujata
Koirala.
The 38-year-old Paras Shah, the only son of the
deposed King Gyanendra, allegedly opened fire in the air after
getting into a verbal duel with Melanie, Sujata's daughter,
reportedly after a drinking session.
No one was injured in the altercation last night,
sources said. Paras, known in the country for his late night
escapades in bars and casinos, in a statement later sought to
defend his action, saying he could not bear insults against
himself and his family.
Though no official complaint has been filed so far,
the news of the incident dominated newspaper front pages in
Nepal today and various political groups called for the arrest
of the Prince, who has recently returned to his country after
a brief self-imposed exile in Singapore.
According to close friends of the deputy prime
minister Sujata, the firing took place at Tiger Tops Resort at
Chitawan National Park in southern Nepal as Melanie and her
Bangladeshi husband Subel Chaudhary got into a heated argument
with the former Prince.
The friends, who preferred not to be named, said a
drunk Paras had opened fire holding Sujata's father late
Girija Prasad Koirala responsible for hatching the conspiracy
to abolish monarchy.
Paras in a statement today admitted firing his gun
into the air over two guests at the resort, who he claimed had
said negative things about his former role and the institution
which he represented.
Witnesses at the famous resort said Paras, who was
accompanied by his wife and young son had to be escorted out
from the dining hall for shouting at the guests.
Nepalese media quoted witnesses as saying that the
former Crown Prince had fired as many as five times in the
air.
During his years as Crown Prince, Paras was a target
of intense public criticism for his hard partying and frequent
brawling. These brawls, mostly at night clubs and casinos, had
triggered public demonstrations against him. But so far, no
formal charges have been pressed against him.
Nepal's almost three-century-old monarchy was
abolished in 2008 when Paras's father Gyanendra Bikram Shah
had to give up his throne. Paras, who was the Crown prince
moved to Singapore.
But he has returned to Nepal recently where his wife
has launched a fund to help deprived women, in a move widely
seen as an attempt to rehabilitate the family's public image.
A spokesman for the Tiger Tops refused to comment on
the incident and Nepalese police spokesman Bigyan Raj Sharma
said that he has no information about the incident and they
were trying to find out the truth.
Sujata, who was in Singapore reportedly telephoned
Home Minister Bhim Rawal to look into the matter and take
legal action against Paras, according to The Kathmandu Post.
PTI
First Published: Monday, December 13, 2010, 23:58