The former Crown Prince of Nepal, Paras Shah,
has left the country for the first time in more than two years
on a flight to
Singapore.
There has been speculation that the controversial former heir to
the now abolished throne is moving to the island city
permanently.
But this has been denied by one of his close relatives.
Abhinesh Shah told the BBC there was "no way" that Paras was
moving out of the country.
Mr Shah, who is married to Paras' first cousin, said Paras was
instead looking for a good school for his three young children,
whose education was being disrupted by constant strikes and traffic
problems in Nepal.
He said Paras and his wife, Himani, would - as guardians -
be spending a lot of time
in Singapore, but added that once the children got older
they might return to good schools in Nepal.
Mr Shah said Singapore's good medical facilities would be useful
to the 37-year-old former prince who recently suffered a heart
attack.
The pony-tailed former prince was pictured arriving at the
airport before flying out to Singapore, reportedly with two
bodyguards and his brother-in-law.
Controversial
The editor of Jana Astha, a weekly paper known for its royal
stories, was quoted as saying Paras was concerned for the safety of
his wife and three young children and was planning to leave Nepal
for good.
But Mr Shah said he did not believe Paras was concerned for his
family's security in Nepal.
There have however been press reports that the former princess
is worried about that very issue.
As the son of ex-King Gyanendra, Paras was the first in line to
the throne and was unpopular among Nepalis for his drunken antics
and playboy lifestyle.
One observer here said that in travelling he was enjoying the
advantages of being a commoner, which he became in May when a new
assembly abolished the monarchy.
Like his father, his movements had been restricted for two years
after the failure of a period of direct royal rule.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7484651.stm