Everest Sign: Two Indians Suspended For Fake Ascent

Climbing Mount Everest (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

JAKARTA - Nepal officially banned two Indian climbers and a team leader who was involved in the case of faking Mount Everest climbing in 2016. An investigation has proven this forgery. And the ban applies for the next six years.

In 2016, Narender Singh Yadav and Seema Rani Goswami received climbing certification from the Ministry of Tourism. Even so, they failed to provide evidence related to the climb-including pictures and any other reliable evidence - after Yadav was nominated for an award.

Quoted by CNN, that's how this case was investigated. Yadav and Goswami, until this writing has not commented. The success of reaching the top of the mountain as high as 8,848.86 meters or 29,032 feet is indeed a great achievement, even for the world level.

When Yadav was registered for the prestigious Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award last year, the couple's claims were questioned by other climbers. A Nepal Tourism Ministry official told AFP that during the investigation, other climbers testified that Yadav and Goswami never reached the summit.

"In our investigation, we found that they had submitted fake documents (including photos). Based on documents and conversations with relevant officials, including the Sherpa (Nepal mountaineer), we reached this conclusion", a Nepalese official told The Indian Express newspaper.

In addition to the climbing ban, the Everest Yadav and Goswami Summit certifications were also revoked. Nepal's Ministry of Tourism, with Sherpas support, has also fined the company for organizing the hike.

Indian climbing

One of the points on the climb of Everest (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

Indians first climbed Everest in the 1960s. And in 1984, Bachendri Pal became the first Indian woman to climb the mountain. Indians also set records for "first twins", "the first woman to be amputated", "youngest girl ever", and "oldest woman ever" to rise to the top.

Many of those who succeed in climbing the mountain go on to have lucrative careers as motivational speakers and writers. But this isn't the first time Indian climbers have been called in for faking claims they have reached the summit.

In 2017, police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra fired two officers after an investigation found their claim to be the first Indian couple to climb fake Everest. Dinesh and Tarakeshwari Rathod say they have made it to the top in 2016.

But Maharashtra police said the couple had "altered the photo" to show the successful climb. Nepal's tourism department initially authorized their climb but dropped the decision after an investigation.

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