As the nation was gripped by shock over the killing of the Nepali workers in Iraq and there was a curfew, rumourmongers made matters worse by spreading false news about the royal family. The rumour of Princess Himani's death spread rapidly and reached Nepali communities across the world. The whole of Saturday the rumour mills worked overtime, causing panic among Nepalis and even foreign media started making inquiries. To quell the rumours, the palace had to arrange a royal visit to Hanuman Dhoka on Saturday afternoon, with images of Prince Paras and Princess Himani broadcast on all television stations (see pic). Even then, rumourmongers were not satisfied. They said the footage was old, and that the princess had already passed away at Chhauni. We seem to easily forget that our country has already suffered a lot due to false rumours, as in the case of the anti-Hrithik Roshan riots. Without even verifying the truth, Nepalis are prone to violent demonstrations in which they vandalise private property, loot and burn cars. Once again, all Nepalis were made complete fools of by a handful of rumourmongers who are nothing but anti-social elements. The sad part was that even some in the security forces believed the rumour and contributed to spreading it. Some doctors at the army hospital in Chauni also played a part in spreading the rumour.