Former crown prince arrested for murder bid

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

NARAYANGADH: Former crown prince Paras Shah, who opened fire at the Tiger Tops Resort in the Chitwan National Park after an altercation with Deputy Prime Minister Sujata’s son-in-law on Saturday, was booked for attempt to murder by the Chitwan police today.

The police nabbed Paras in Pokhara and airlifted him to Mid-Western Region Police Training Centre on a Fishtail chopper around 5 pm. According to police officials, Assistant Sub-Inspector Hari Dhungana of Meghauli Police Post, Chitwan, has filed the FIR against Paras.

A police team led by Gandaki Zonal Police Office Chief Senior Superintendent of Police Keshav Adhikari arrested Paras from Fulbari Resort and taken to Chitwan on a chopper. Police said Paras would bear the helicopter fare.

SSP Adhikari and Inspector Sunil Malla accompanied Paras to Chitwan. According to Kaski District Police Chief Superintendent of Police Pushkar Karki, Paras was not interrogated in Pokhara.

A group of Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal leaders and activists supporting Paras had gathered outside the hotel in support of Paras. Over 80 police personnel were deployed in the resort to ward off any untoward incident. They barred them from entering the hotel premises. Mediapersons were also not allowed inside the hotel.

A team from Chitwan district police office reached Tiger Tops Resort last night and has begun preliminary investigation into the case. If found guilty, Paras can be sentenced for 12 years.

Chitwan CDO Bashantraj Gautam said a panel formed by the Home Ministry to probe into the case had also arrived. Chitwan SP Pushpa Chandra Ranjit could not be contacted. Balaram Sharma, Chief, Police Training Centre, confirmed that Paras was brought to the centre. Mediapersons thronged the Bharatpur Airport after they came to know that Shah was being brought to Chitwan. The police barred them from entering the airport. When no chopper landed till 4.30 pm, they went to the Police Training Centre.

In Kathmandu, some 700 royalists converged on Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, Basantapur, and staged anti-government protests demanding that police release Paras unconditionally. They shouted slogans against Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala and her son-in-law Rubel Choudhary.

Later in the evening, they took out a torch rally.

In the evening, police detained CA member and leader of Sadbhawana Party Khobhari Raya Yadav while he was trying to block traffic on Durbar Marg to protest the arrest of Paras. SP Ramesh Kharel said he was released later as the CA Chairman was not informed before the arrest. Six persons who were accompanying Yadav were detained for interrogation.

(With inputs from Pokhara and Kathmandu)