In Nepal, the disbelief goes on

Nepalis have read the news, but they can't believe it

By Jill McGivering in Kathmandu

In Nepal, official mourning has now ended for the late King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and eight other members of the Royal Family who were killed in a dramatic mass shooting in the palace on 1 June.

There's a big conspiracy behind it - one person cannot shoot 10 people

Woman in Kathmandu

But many Nepalis are finding it hard to believe that former Crown Prince Dipendra carried out the shootings after drinking neat whisky and smoking hashish, despite the confirmation of the facts in an official report.

At the gates of the royal palace, the huge mounds of flowers, tributes and photographs which had been here since the killings happened have now all been swept away.

House Speaker Taranath Ranabhat displays the murder weapon

It is as if the authorities are making a definite statement - telling people it is the end of the mourning period and time to move on.

But it is hard for people to do that when they still don't feel they're being told the truth.

"Nobody was satisfied before the report was out - nobody is satisfied even after report is out," one young man told me.

"Even if they say it's been done with all the scientific things they've got together, nobody's yet satisfied," he said.

He is not alone in remaining unconvinced by the official report into what happened in the palace.

Security is still tight due to fear of demonstrations

One young woman said she was not happy with the speed with which the cremations were carried out, nor with the lack of medical evidence.

"The main question is post-mortem reports. We wanted to see the face and we wanted to give a tribute to our late king but we were not supposed to do that," she said.

And she doesn't believe that Dipendra carried out the killings.

"There's a big conspiracy behind it - one person cannot shoot 10 people."

End speculation

The release of the official report was supposed to end speculation.

Crown Prince Dipendra: 'High on drink and drugs'

The heads of the inquiry - the country's chief justice and parliamentary speaker - gave a detailed account of the terrible events.

But the royal family has a godlike status in Nepal.

"The general expectations are that a royal family which is held in such great reverence should behave in an impeccable manner," said Himalaya Shumshere Rana, a former international civil servant.

"The expectation is that they will behave in a godlike manner - or in a very admirable way so that no finger could be lifted accusing them. But of course this is a little bit unnatural to expect because they are also human."

This is also a Hindu kingdom - many people I spoke to said their religion and culture made it inconceivable that a son could kill his father.

The father is the head of the family, I was told, just as the king is the head of the nation - and both are revered.

Enemy

It isn't only in the city that people are sceptical.

Young Brahmin priests pray for the souls of the dead

When I left Kathmandu and visited some farmers in a remote hillside village, I found similar views.

Many were frightened to give their views at first, but finally one, Ramkrishna Acharya, agreed to speak out.

"Everyone's saying the crown prince killed the royal family but we don't believe it," he said.

"No son can kill his parents like that. Some enemy of the king must have done it."

The scenes of public grief are over now.

On the streets of Kathmandu, normal life is being restored at last - but there's also a lingering sense of doubt.

And the authorities must be wondering what else they can do to convince a suspicious public that the former crown prince really was responsible for such terrible bloodshed.