Third King In Four Days & Curfew In The City

In yet another cruel twist to the tragedy that struck Nepal's royal family, Dipendra,who was declared the king while battling for life, died today making way for hisuncle regent Gyanendra to become the new monarch even as violence flared in thestreets forcing authorities to clamp curfew, deploy army and issueshoot-at-sight orders.

One person is reported to have died of injuries sustained when policelathicharged protestors outside the Hanumandhoka palace where gyanendra, 54, wasenthroned in a brief private ceremony for which no one from the large diplomaticcorps was invited.

29-year-old king Dipendra, initially blamed for the killing of his parentsking Birendra and queen Aishwarya and six other royal family members, wascomatose in the military hospital for two days after the friday night massacreand had not ascended the throne.

Tens of thousands of people took to the street denouncing the new monarchshortly after Gyanendra's enthronment.

Police opened fire in the air and used tear gas at several places afterlathichage failed to disperse the angry protesters shouting anti-Gyanendraslogans and demanding a thorough probe into the incident.

The assurance by the new king that he would make facts of the gruesomekillings public after an investigation appeared to have little impact on theagitated protestors.

Curfew In The City

Curfew was imposed on the entire Nepalese capital and the neighbouring Lalitpurin the wake of mounting protests over the assassination of the royal family.

The curfew would remain in force till tomorrow morning and anybody foundviolating the measure would be arrested, an announcement over the state-runtelevision said.

An unconfirmed report said one person was killed during a lathicharge infront of the old palace where regent Gyanendra was enthroned as the king a fewhours after the death of king Dipendra.

Police fired shots in the air to disperse thousands of slogan-shoutingprotestors in front of the royal palace and a few other places. Some Indianjournalists were chased away by the protestors from the scene of thedemonstrations.

As 54-year-old Gyanendra, younger brother of the slain king Birendra, drovein a motorcade to the old palace for enthronment ceremony, thousands ofprotestors tried to block the route with some of them shouting "death to Gyanendra."

Police lobbed over 100 tear gas shells and fired in the air in at least threeplaces after the lathicharge failed to restore order.

Army and riot police were deployed in strength outside the old palace and inother parts of the capital as the news spread about the death of the 29-year-oldDipendra at 3.45 am (local time). Tear gas shells were lobbed outside the royalpalace where thousands of protestors had gathered to mourn the death of ninemembers of the royal family.

Dipendra had remained on life support since Friday night's massacre in whichhe was alleged to have gunned down his parents king birendra and queen aishwarya,two siblings and four other family members.

Gyanendra, with his head shaven in the Hindu tradition of mourning, issued astatement after the death of Dipendra promising full explanation on the palacemassacre.

Most Nepalese have tended to disbelieve king Gyanendra's statement yesterdaythat the shooting in the palace, which wiped out king Birendra's entire family,was "accidental".

Soon after the annoucement of Dipendra's death, the 125-member state council(Raj Parishad) met and issued a statement confirming naming of regent Gyanendraas the new king.

"The next in succession to the throne, prince Gyanendra, has beendeclared his majesty, the king of the kingdom of Nepal," the statementsaid.

Formal coronation of Gyanendra, who was enthroned at Hanumandokha palace at1045 hours IST, will take place at an auspicious date later.

Only Nepalese minister and top civil and military officials were present atthe enthronement ceremony to which no  member from the large diplomaticcorps here was invited.

"It was treated as an internal function," official source said.