Paras in Nepal, ex-King aide denies his links to currency ring

Amid reports in Indian media linking him to a fake currency racket operated by Dawood Ibrahim from Pakistan, Nepal's former prince Paras Shah landed here on a family visit, even as an aide of the dethroned king dismissed the allegations as "totally baseless".

"The charges made by the Indian media -- both print and electronic -- regarding Paras are totally fabricated and baseless. These are absolutely false," said Sagar Timilsina, a former aide to King Gyanendra who was deposed after Nepal became a republic last year.

During the Indian Airlines plane hijacking of December 1999, an Indian television channel falsely accused Nepali national Gajendra Maskey of being one of the hijackers, which later proved to be false, Timilsina said.

"There is no evidence to prove any links between Paras and the fake currency racket," he said. He also said that a picture showing Paras sitting close to Dawood Ibrahim was the "product of trick photography".

The flamboyant former Crown Prince, living in self-exile in Singapore for the past two years, returned to Kathmandu yesterday. The 38-year-old will stay for a few days and spend time with his family, which is living here.

During the two-year period, Paras had visited Nepal once.