A man carries offerings for rituals marking the 5th day of mourning An inquiry ordered by Nepal's new king into the massacre of the royal family is in disarray, with the main opposition refusing to take part. But in the absence of official information, a new account has been published blaming the late crown prince for the killing of his father, mother and other family members. In the capital, Kathmandu, a semblance of normality was restored when a curfew was lifted, before later being reimposed. People took the opportunity to stock up on supplies. But in a separate development police arrested the editor and two publishers of a leading newspaper on charges of treason, after an article critical of newly-crowned King Gyanendra appeared in the daily Kantipur.
Correspondents says anger is building over the lack of explanation about the deaths.
The head of the United Marxist Leninist Party, Kumar Nepal, turned down an appeal by the new King, Gyanendra, to join a three-member inquiry, saying he wanted other parties to be associated with the inquiry. The curfew was imposed after three people died in rioting His party also says the committee had been set up unconstitutionally, because the proposal came from the king, rather than the prime minister. An eyewitness account of what happened last Friday night, when King Birendra and eight other members of the royal family died, has now appeared, although it is impossible to independently verify. A relative of a witness to the shootings gave an interview to two international newspapers verifying the initial account that the king's son, Crown Prince Dipendra, opened fire on the family gathering. But the account did not substantiate reports that there had been a dispute about the prince's wedding plans.