A very tall Everest story

01 July 2016 - 09:23 By ©The Daily Telegraph

An Indian couple who claimed to have climbed Everest last month have been accused of lying and doctoring photographs.Dinesh and Tarakeshwari Rathod, both 30, had been widely lauded for their achievement on May 23, when images showed them proudly unfurl the banner of the Pune police force, where they both work as constables, atop the world's highest peak.At an emotional press conference shortly after their trip, the couple paid tribute to three less fortunate Indian climbers who had perished on the same slopes that week, and told reporters that they had for years put off having a child until achieving their dream of defeating Everest.But according to a group of rival alpinists, also from India's Maharashtra state, holes quickly appeared in the Rathods' story.They claim that the pair superimposed images of themselves taken lower down Everest or even inside a studio onto photographs of the summit, and posted these on Facebook.COPY THAT: A photo posted by Dinesh Rathod, which he said showed his wife, Tarakeshwari, at the summit of Everest. Picture: MAKALU ADVENTURESSatyarup Siddhanta, another mountaineer, last night pointed out on Facebook that an image ostensibly showing Mrs Rathod holding an Indian flag atop the summit, published on the website of their Nepalese tour company Makalu Adventures, appeared to be a crudely photoshopped version of one of his own images.The couple appear to be wearing different coloured climbing gear in different photographs of their alleged ascent, the group added, asking in a written dossier sent out to journalists: "Is it possible to change your costume or shoes and still not have frostbite? What does it indicate?"The Pune police department where the two work has now launched an internal investigation into the allegations.However, Makalu Adventures insisted that there was no doubt of the couple's achievement, and put the claims down to rivalries between the groups.Mohan Lamsal, president of Makalu Adventures, said: "After these complaints, I have asked our Sherpas more than 100 times. They always said we climbed to the top together, there is no doubt, sir."..

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