Remember the other 'Devyani' who grabbed headlines across the globe?

Krish Dulal

Bangalore, Dec 19: Indian diplomat

has, for reasons beyond her control, let the hell loose between India and United States. Her arrest and subsequent release grabbed headlines across the world and triggered diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

Interestingly, she has a namesake who, years ago, had made it to the international headlines. However, unlike the diplomat, the namesake didn't cause tensions between nations.

Devyani Rana, a member of the Gwalior royal family, was one of the most discussed persons in media in 2001, after the controversial 'Nepalese royal massacre'.

Devyani was the prospective bride of Nepalese crown prince Dipendra, who on June 1 2001 killed 9 members of the roal family and himself. And the reason? His parents, King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, refused to give consent to his marriage with Devyani Rana.

Apparently, the queen was against the wedding due to Devyani's Indian lineage. "In Nepal, anti-India sentiment has often set the kingdom on fire and the last thing the royal family needed was a future queen with Indian blood in her veins," The Express, a Nepal newspaper wrote.

With the killer Prince dead, the media turned to Devyani and blamed her for causing the massacre. BBC carried a story about Devyani with a headline, "Beauty at heart of killings mystery".

A devasted Devyani fled to India, her mother's native country. The tragedy never left her life completley and she always stayed away from media glare. She later obtained a degree from London School of Economics, married Kunwar Aishwarya Singh in India and slid into a quiet married life.

Oneindia News