Not long after an Indian couple claimed to reach the top of Mount Everest, eight other mountaineers lodged a complaint saying they never made it to the summit and had "morphed" photographs of them at the top.
Critics of Dinesh Rathod and his wife Tarakeshwari said they arrived at the base camp very late in the climbing season to have a chance of reaching the top. A group of mountaineers accused them of making false claims, and several of them even recorded statements with the Pune police. Photos include one of Tarakeshwari brandishing the Indian flag on the summit, which was used by the Nepal Tourism Board to verify their claim. "These are the biggest give aways, the pictures are clearly morphed. Both seem to have changed their climbing boots, too, in separate pictures. Being able to change one's clothes mid-climb and not get frostbitten would be a miracle," said Anjali Kulkarni.
Both constables, the Rathods had taken an official leave from their work to attempt the climb. Tarakeshwari said she and her husband could finally start a family, a decision they had been putting off to complete their long-held dream of climbing Everest.
