Even as the Pune Police is probing the constable couple, Dinesh and Tarkeshwari Rathod, for allegedly faking their summit of Mt Everest, the Nepal tourism ministry has started its own investigations.

mid-day had last week broken the story about the couple allegedly faking the feat by morphing the summit picture of a mountaineer from Bengaluru, Satyarup Siddhanta. Speaking to this reporter from Kathmandu, Aananda Pokharel, Nepal Tourism Minister, said, “I am aware of the complaint and the whole case. A three-member committee has been set up that comprises one member from my ministry, one member from the Nepal Tourism Board and one member from the Department of Tourism.”