Nepal names second king in three days

By staff and wire reports

KATMANDU, Nepal -- Nepal's State Council has crowned Prince Gyanendra the nation's new king, following the weekend massacre of most of the royal family.

Gyanendra was named as the new king following the death of his nephew Crown Prince Dipendra early Monday.

Dipendra had been named king despite being a prime suspect in the slaughter of most of Nepal's royal family on Friday.

Gyanendra, the dead King Birendra's brother, becomes Nepal's third king in four days. He was earlier named caretaker king while Dipendra lay in a coma.

AUDIO CNN's Kasra Naji reports that as Nepal crowns its third king in four days, its people are seeking to uncover the truth behind Friday's massacre of its royal family 810KB/1 min 14 sec. AIFF or WAV sound    VIDEO Thousands of mourners bid farewell to the Royal Family of Nepal who were murdered friday. CNN's Kasra Naji reports (June 2) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     ALSO Nepal's 48-hour king dies after royal massacre Kasra Naji: Clan rivalry may have sparked royal killings Nepal: Pope leads world shock Report paints picture of prince's drunken rampage Nepal's royal family; revered and reserved

Dipendra, who died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, will be buried later Monday.

Comatose king

Dipendra spent his entire reign of less than 48 hours in a coma. His condition worsened considerably over the weekend, but it was not known whether his life support had been turned off.

Dipendra allegedly gunned down most of his family with an assault rifle as they sat around a dinner table, as a disagreement concerning his choice of a bride grew out of hand.

But a debate continues to rage in Nepal over the varying accounts of what happened in the royal dining room, as the government remains tight-lipped over the circumstances surrounding the massacre.

Statements from the Nepalese interior minister had said Crown Prince Dipendra shot his family after a bitter quarrel.

But on Nepal's first full day of national mourning, Gyanendra altered the official story behind the tragedy.

"According to the information received by us [they] were seriously injured in an accidental firing from an automatic weapon," Gyanendra is quoted as saying in a statement broadcast on state radio Sunday.

Gyanendra's statement did not make clear who was holding the gun at the time of the shooting.

Military sources at the palace told The Associated Press the prince had turned against his family because his mother did not approve of a young woman, Devyani Rana, as his choice of bride.

The Hindustan Times said a shocked Devyani Rana, fearing for her safety, left Katmandu late on Saturday on a flight to New Delhi, India. Other reports Monday said Rana remained in Nepal but had left Katmandu.

The dead include King Birendra, 55, Queen Aishwarya, 51, Dipendra's sister Princess Shruti, 24, his brother Prince Nirajan, 22, and six others.

The Horizon newspaper said yesterday 40 bullets had been taken from the bodies of both Prince Nirajan and King Birendra.

Rana's connections

Rana is the daughter of Usha Raje Scindia, a member of a royal family from the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Her father Pashupati Rana is a former Nepal foreign and finance minister, and a member of the once-powerful Rana clan that established a line of hereditary prime ministers in Nepal.

Traditionally, members of Nepal's royal Shah dynasty, including King Birendra and his two brothers, choose a spouse from the Rana line to ensure political peace in Nepal.

But a report in the Indian Express Sunday said Rana's Indian connections counted against her.

The report, citing Nepali palace sources, said Queen Aishwarya was determined her son should marry a girl from the Gorakh Rana family into which Princess Shruti had married.

Other theories circulating include one that Dipendra killed his family over a disagreement on the future of the role of the royal family.

In 1990, King Birendra agreed to take a constitutional role in the wake of a popular movement that introduced parliamentary democracy.

But his son was suspected of pushing to return Nepal to an absolute monarchy system.

Heads shaved

Meanwhile, nearly all the shops in Katmandu remained closed as a mark of respect. Government officials were easily recognizable in the streets, their heads shaved under orders by the home ministry.

The ministry also requested that all celebratory events, such as weddings, be postponed for the 13 days earmarked for performing rituals in remembrance of the king and his family.

Television cable operators switched off all entertainment channels, leaving only state television and 24-hour news channels.

Hours after the announcement on Saturday afternoon that Nepal's state council had anointed Dipendra as the new king, stunned crowds attended the cremation of the Nepalese royal family on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River.

A swift funeral is in keeping with Hindu tradition.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.