Paras, Crown Prince of Nepal
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Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal (born 30 December 1971) is the Crown Prince and heir apparent to the throne of Nepal.
Paras is the only son of King Gyanendra and Queen Komal. He attended Luther College in the United States, but did not graduate. Paras has become extremely unpopular in Nepal due to a history of debauchery, drug abuse and violence.[1] [2]On June 1, 2001, Paras was present at the royal palace when the then Crown Prince Dipendra reportedly went on a killing spree, murdering King Birendra and most of the Royal Family before dying of wounds 3 days later. Gyanendra, who had held the title of King of Nepal briefly during the 1950s, was again crowned King. Paras, as Gyanendra's only son, became the Crown Prince on October 26, 2001.
In August 2000, Paras ran over and killed Praveen Gurung, a popular singer, apparently by accident. He then went to the police station and warned the officer in charge, at gunpoint, not to report the incident. Despite public outrage, Paras was not charged with vehicular homicide due to royal immunity from prosecution.[3]
Paras married Himani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah on January 25, 2000. They have three children:
- Princess Yuvarajkumari Purnika Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah (Born: December 11, 2000, Kathmandu)
- Prince Nava Yuvaraj Hridayendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (Born: July 30, 2002, Kathmandu)
- Princess Yuvarajkumari Kritika Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah (Born: October 16, 2003, Kathmandu)
[edit] Allegation of assault
- Alleged assault a policeman:
Paras has also been accused of assaulting "a policeman with the butt of his automatic weapon after being stopped for drinking and driving." [4] He was not charged.
Following the murder of Praveen Gurung, there was an uproar of an unprecedented scale in the streets of Kathmandu. This was the first time the Nepalese people overtly chanted slogans against a member of the royal family, which for centuries had been regarded as sacrosanct. A petition campaign was initiated by the student wing of CPN (UML) and was forwarded to the royal palace calling for Paras to be punished. But contrary to popular opinion, King Birendra did nothing against Paras. Instead the palace responded with several PR campaigns to improve the prince's image. They tried to present Paras as a young man interested in promoting Nepal's sports and tourist sectors. Unfortunately, Paras did not cooperate; his next victim was a policeman who failed to recognize him, and as a result was almost killed. [5] While their countrymen were dying of hunger, the Nepalese monarchy enjoyed a very lavish lifestyle; the classic scenario for a revolution.
The Palace, in the meantime, reached an out of court deal with the widow of Gurung. A scapegoat was found who confessed to the killing of Praveen Gurung and Mrs Gurung vowed to never openly speak of the matter again. To date, she has not changed her mind.
Since royal authority has been curtailed and the king stripped of most of his powers, there is a growing sentiment that the police should reopen the case against Crown Prince Paras.
[edit] Prospects for the throne
The unpopularity of both the king and crown prince has contributed to demands that Nepal become a republic. Another possibility that has been raised is for the King to abdicate and for Paras to be passed over in favour of one of his young children under a regent.[6]
[edit] External links
- Royal Court of Nepal
- Nepal: Murder in Palace, Maoists in Mountains
- Murder and intrigue in Katmandu
- Nepal's errant crown prince,
- Game of Golf Stirs Up Criticism of U.S. Role in Nepal
| Shah dynasty Born: 30 December 1971 |
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| Vacant Title last held by Dipendra |
Crown Prince of Nepal 2001-present |
Incumbent |
| First in line | Line of succession to the Nepalese Throne | Succeeded by Princess Purnika of Nepal |
