Paras, Crown Prince of Nepal

Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev (born 30 December 1971) was Crown Prince of Nepal, the heir apparent to the throne, from 2001 until the abolition of the monarchy by the Interim Constituent Assembly in 2008 following Constituent Assembly elections.

Early life

Paras is the only son of the deposed King Gyanendra and Queen Komal of Nepal. He has one sister, Prerana. He received his early education at St. Joseph's College in Darjeeling, India; Sidhart Banasthali Buddhanilkantha School, Kathmandu; and Laboratory School, Kathmandu. He later attended Luther College in Iowa,^[1] and the Schiller International University in the United Kingdom studying for an undergraduate degree in Business Administration. However, he did not complete his undergraduate education.^[2]

Family

Paras married Himani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah a member of the Princely family of Sikar on 25 January 2000. They have three children:^[2] Purnika Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah (b. 7 July 2000), Hridayendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (b. 30 July 2002) and Kritika Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah (b. 16 October 2003).

Crown Prince

On 1 June 2001, Paras was at the Royal Palace during the royal massacre, which resulted in the deaths of King Birendra and most of the Royal Family, including Crown Prince Dipendra. Paras sustained injuries in the massacre and, according to eye witness accounts, saved the lives of at least three royals, including two children, by pulling a sofa over them.^[3] Gyanendra, who had held the title of King of Nepal briefly during the 1950s, was again crowned king. Paras, as King Gyanendra's only son, became Crown Prince of Nepal on 26 October 2001.^[2]

Monarchical styles of Paras, Crown Prince of Nepal
Reference style	His Royal Highness
Spoken style	Your Royal Highness
Alternative style	Sir

In July 2007, the Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala called for then-King Gyanendra to abdicate the throne and for Paras to renounce his dynastic rights in favour of his son, Prince Hridayendra.^[4]

Conservation trust controversy

In 2008, the National Trust for Nature Conservation, published a report alleging that the Royal Family had misused funds belonging to the charity. The trust was formerly run by Crown Prince Paras, with King Gyanendra as its patron. The committee alleged that the Royal Family had spent large amounts of trust funds on themselves over several years to finance trips abroad, lavish parties, Queen Komal's health check-ups in the United Kingdom. One trip highlighted in the report was Crown Prince Paras' visit to Austria to donate a pair of Indian Rhinoceros, an endangered species in Nepal, to a zoo. As the charity is now run by Maoist rebels, the objectivity of the findings has been questioned.^[5]

Brushes with the law

In August, 2000, Paras was alleged to have run over and killed Praveen Gurung, a popular singer. A police investigation ensued, but Paras was not charged. An army officer later claimed responsibility for the incident.^[3]

Paras was reported to have fired a pistol into the air at a Chitwan hotel on 11 December 2010 under the influence of alcohol.^[3] He reportedly opened fire at Rubel Chaudhary alleging that his family members had conspired to abolish Nepal's monarchy and also attempted to defame Nepal and Nepalis during his confrontations with the prince. He was arrested 3 days later^[6] for a court trial to be initiated on 19 December.^[7]

In July, 2014, Paras has been arrested on drugs charges in Thailand for a second time and could face up to five years in prison.^[8]

Heart attacks

On 6 September 2007, Paras was rushed to the Military Hospital after he complained of chest pain. Later, at around 11:30 am, he was transferred to the Norvic International Hospital in Kathmandu. He was operated on for about 50 minutes, apparently to treat a "mild heart attack".^[9] Doctors performed a balloon angioplasty on him to clear his blocked artery.^[10]

On 19 February 2013, Paras was admitted to Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand after he suffered a second heart attack.^[11] After being in hospital for more than two weeks, Paras gained consciousness on 2 March.^[12]

Honours

National Honours;

• Member First Class of the Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu (23 October 2001).^[13]
• Member of the Order of the Footprint of Nepal (7 April 2004).
• King Birendra Investiture Medal (24 February 1975).
• Commemorative Silver Jubilee Medal of King Birendra (31 January 1997).
• Vishista Seva Medal (1999).
• King Gyanendra Investiture Medal (4 June 2001).

Ancestry

References

Further reading

• Lancaster, John (19 June 2005). "Game of Golf Stirs Up Criticism of U.S. Role in Nepal". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 February 2013. 

External links

• Royal Court of Nepal