Kathmandu (SunstarTV Bureau): Two Indian climbers and their team leader are allegedly banned by Nepal from carrying out any mountaineering expeditions in the country for six years. The extreme step has been taken after a probe unearthed their fake Mt Everest Summit in 2016, informed source.
The two climbers named Narendra Singh Yadav and Seema Rani Goswami, their Indian team leader Naba Kumar Phukon were banned for reporting fake ascent.
According to a spokesperson of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Narender Singh Yadav and Seema Rani Goswami received expedition certificates during the spring season of 2016 without successfully climbing the world’s highest mountain.
Both the climbers had received the certificates of climbing the 8,848.86m (29,032 ft) mountain by submitting false details to the Department of Tourism. Their certificates have been revoked, the ministry said
“The investigation has confirmed that both of them had obtained certificates by giving false details,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying by the daily.
They have been banned from ascending any mountain in Nepal for six years. The ban will be effective starting May 20, 2016, it said.
Their Indian team leader Naba Kumar Phukon, who led the expedition, has also been banned for six years starting May 20, 2016.
The government has also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the Seven Summit Treks Pvt Ltd, the agency which organized the expedition for the Indian nationals.
The ministry has also warned Pawan Kumar Ghimire, the liaison officer of the team, not to repeat such mistakes in the future. The ministry has also decided to impose a fine of Rs 10,000 on Nga Dawa Sherpa, the climbing supporter during the expedition.
Sherpa had filed false documents claiming that Yadav had successfully climbed Mt Everest.
This is not the first time that climbers have been confirmed of faking the summit of Mt Everest.
Dinesh and Tarakeshwari Rathod, an Indian couple, who were part of a different expedition in the spring of 2016, had also claimed that they had scaled Mt Everest and obtained the expedition certificate by submitting false details, the daily said.
Their climbing recognition was also revoked by the DoT.
Aiming to reduce such activities, the government has been dwelling on installing a GPS tracking system in the mountains. However, no progress has been made on this front yet.
