Many employees were vanishing palace hatyakandapascata which have been found to come today, for fear of an employee who had left Nepal, who was held 15 years at rajaraniko sadyantrapurvaka murder and, in particular in the palace on May 1 was 9, that revealed the chanjyana face the fear of risk is covered, but the story is evident "palace massacre"

Advertisement The most significant event in Nepal's modern history took place on a warm Friday night on 1 June 2001 when the country's crown prince gunned down nine members of his family including his father and mother in an alcohol and drug fuelled stupor before shooting himself.

Fifteen years have passed since that fateful night which changed the course of Nepal's monarchy and led to its end seven years later. But the mystery and conspiracy theories surrounding the massacre are still as fresh as ever.

The incident is still discussed and debated in roadside conversations, at dinner tables, in office canteens and swanky restaurants. Findings of the official investigation, books on the event and statements by former royal palace staff members have added to the mystery.

In its 200-page report, the investigation committee blamed crown prince Dipendra of having gunned down his father King Birendra, his mother Queen Aishwarya and seven other members of the royal family during a weekly family get together.

The Queen's opposition to Devyani Rana, the woman Dipendra wanted to marry, was supposed to have been the trigger that prompted the crown prince to take the drastic step.

But the report left many questions unanswered. No post-mortems were carried out on the bodies, there were discrepancies in the statements given by some of the witnesses and doubts regarding the weapons used by Dipendra to carry out the massacre and their origin remained.

More importantly, it did not clarify whether the crown prince had shot himself or was killed by someone else. Dipendra was right-handed, but the committee found that a bullet had entered his head from the left side. The crown prince was in coma for three days before succumbing to injuries.

Soon after the incident, the hysterical public saddened and shocked at the demise of their king, who was revered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, put the blame of the massacre on Birendra's younger brother Gyanendra who was away from Kathmandu on the night of the incident .

The fact his son Paras escaped without injuries and his wife Komal survived a bullet wound added weight to speculations. In the past 10 years since the incident, Gyanendra succeeded his brother as the king and eventually lost the monarchy to a popular uprising three years ago-but suspicions regarding his role on that fateful night's events still linger.

Razing of the building where the shootings took place, thus destroying any physical evidence for future investigations also raised eyebrows. Almost every visitor who comes to Narayanhiti Palace (now converted to a museum) looking for some answers leaves with more questions. Advertisement