Asia

Indian police suspend 2 officers for fake Everest claim

Associated Press
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FILE- In this July 4, 2016 file photo, Indian climber, Satyarup Sidhantha holds on his right hand a photograph that shows him on Mount Everest, along with what he says is an altered version of the same used by an Indian couple to make it appear they were on the summit, as he displays them for the Associated Press in Kolkata, India.Two police officers — a husband and wife — have been suspended in India for falsely claiming they scaled Mount Everest in Nepal in May, police said Thursday. Nepal's government earlier canceled the climbing certificates issued to Dinesh Rathod and Tarkeshwari Rathod after it found they had presented a fake photograph of themselves on Everest's summit. (AP Photo/ Bikas Das, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2015, file photo, Mt. Everest is seen from the way to Kalapatthar in Nepal. Two police officers — a husband and wife — have been suspended in India for falsely claiming they scaled Mount Everest in Nepal in May, police said Thursday. Nepal's government earlier canceled the climbing certificates issued to Dinesh Rathod and Tarkeshwari Rathod after it found they had presented a fake photograph of themselves on Everest's summit. (AP Photo/Tashi Sherpa, File) (The Associated Press)

Two police officers — a husband and wife — have been suspended in India for falsely claiming they scaled Mount Everest in Nepal in May.

Nepal's government has canceled the climbing certificates issued to Dinesh Rathod and Tarkeshwari Rathod after it found they had presented a fake photograph of themselves on Everest's summit.

Fellow climbers said the couple never reached the summit and altered someone else's photographs to earn their climbing certificates.

A police inquiry in Pune in India's Maharashtra state found their claim was false, the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Deputy Police Commissioner Arvind Chavriya as saying Thursday. He said they will remain suspended until the inquiry determines whether they should be fired.

The couple has stayed away from work since the controversy erupted in May.