A commission investigating the massacre of almost the entire Nepalese royal family was due to complete its report today.
The report is widely expected to conclude that Crown Prince Dipendra gunned down his father, King Birendra, and eight other members of the royal family in a drunken rage on June 1st - apparently because his parents disapproved of his choice of bride.
But it was not clear when the report would be made public. Government sources saidit will be presented to the new monarch, King Gyanendra, to study and its findings released on Monday.
Nepali newspaper, Rajdhani, citing unnamed panel sources, said the commission had already concluded Dipendra was the murderer.
It said the panel had questioned over 150 people - including survivors and ballistics experts - and that over 99 per cent had said Dipendra was responsible.
As an anxious population waited for news of the report, traditionalists bade an ancient Hindu farewell to Dipendra that they hope will banish the ill fortune that has struck the palace.
Dipendra, as Crown Prince, was named king as he lay dying in a coma from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Today, a Brahman priest deliberately defiled himself to assume Dipendra's woes. The priest, a vegetarian all his life, ate a meal laced with animal marrow before dressing as Dipendra and crossing the Bagmati River on elephant back.