Birendra (top) and Dipendra

Kathmandu, March 30: In an interview to a Singapore tabloid, former crown prince Paras today said that his first cousin Dipendra massacred his entire family on June 1, 2001, after an arms deal was blocked by his father King Birendra.

Paras told The New Paper on Sunday that there was much more in the royal massacre than just the drug and alcohol induced rage of a love-torn Dipendra.

Paras said his cousin was lobbying to push the deal through as he was keen on securing his financial future abroad.

Referring to palace intrigues and vested interests within the royal regime, the 37-year old Paras said Dipendra was extremely upset with his father’s decision to abolish absolute monarchy in 1990 after the pro-democracy movement. “The Royal Nepal army was looking for a new weapon to replace the Belgian SLR. Dipendra liked the German Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle, as opposed to the battle-tested Colt M16. But his father, His Majesty, did not agree. I know that they argued over it. Dipendra was frustrated. He wasn’t happy,” Paras told the tabloid.

The former prince shifted to Singapore in June, a month after monarchy was abolished in Nepal.

Paras said the German assault rifle had been short-listed by the army, which was looking to purchase 50,000 new guns to effectively tackle the Maoist rebels. According to Paras, Dipendra and his followers had been working on the deal which would have secured the prince a huge kickback. “That, to me, was the real trigger. The deal would have probably been for about 50,000 rifles, which at $300 apiece, would work out to about $15 million,” he said.

When asked why the wealthy crown prince needed the money, Paras said: “ I think he was already making plans for the possibility that he would have to leave the country suddenly if things didn’t work out for him. I think this was his back-up plan.”