K.P.

Nepal's ex-crown prince charged after gunshot allegations
-46/hours ago

KATHMANDU — Nepal's former crown prince was charged Thursday with disturbing the peace, the state prosecutor said, after a late-night drunken argument in which he allegedly fired his gun in the air. Paras Shah, 38, was arrested on Tuesday after arguing with fellow guests at an upmarket resort about the role of the deposed monarchy.The home ministry had said he would be charged with illegal possession of a firearm, but he will now face the lesser charge of disturbing the peace. If found guilty, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a 10,000-rupee (140-dollar) fine. One of the guests involved in Saturday night's dispute, Rubel Chaudhary, the Bangladeshi son-in-law of Nepal's deputy prime minister, said Shah threatened to kill him and his family.

"He has been released after he deposited 10,000 rupees as bail," district attorney Gita Prasad Timalsina told AFP. "He has been ordered to present himself to the district administration office on March 3, 2011." Shah became heir to the throne in 2001 after his cousin, former crown prince Dipendra, murdered nine members of his family including the king and queen in a drink-and-drugs-fuelled rampage before apparently turning his gun on himself. He moved to Singapore with his wife and two children after parliament voted in 2008 to abolish the monarchy, but has since returned to Nepal.The arrest of Shah, who as heir to the throne was notorious for his playboy lifestyle, caused shock in a country where the king was once revered as the reincarnation of a Hindu god, and the royal family seen as above the law. Supporters of the royals held demonstrations demanding his release, but many other Nepalese welcomed what they saw as a overdue move to bring to justice a man who as crown prince enjoyed immunity from the law. Shah was accused 10 years ago of killing a popular Nepalese musician in a suspected drunk-driving incident outside the royal palace. Mass street demonstrations called for him to be punished, but no charges were ever brought against him and an army officer later claimed responsibility for the incident.

Read Full story