CIB indicts 33 in fake mountain rescue scandal 1,243-page investigation report submitted

Kathmandu, Mar. 19: A month-long investigation into alleged fake mountain rescue operations in the Himalayan region has uncovered a sprawling network involving trekking agencies, helicopter operators and hospital officials, with police recommending legal action against 33 individuals.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police concluded its inquiry after weeks of detailed scrutiny, finding evidence of organised fraud in which unnecessary helicopter evacuations were arranged to extract money from foreign tourists and insurance providers.

The investigation report, submitted to the District Government Attorney’s Office, follows growing international concern over the authenticity of high-altitude rescue operations in Nepal. 

The probe was launched on the basis of an earlier investigation report commissioned by the Ministry of Tourism, after global media raised questions about the integrity of such rescues.

According to the CIB’s extensive 1,243-page report, those implicated include operators of 16 trekking companies, five rescue firms, several helicopter companies and key figures linked to hospitals. Among the medical institutions named are Shreedhi International Hospital, Swacon International Hospital, Battisputali, and Era International Hospital, Thamel, whose operators are accused of playing roles in the alleged scheme.

Investigators have claimed the network functioned by staging or exaggerating medical emergencies in remote trekking regions, arranging helicopter evacuations even when patients did not require urgent care. In some cases, bills were reportedly issued in the names of individuals who were not even ill.

Several individuals already in custody, including officials associated with Everest Experience and Assistance Pvt. Ltd. and Mountain Rescue Service, have also been recommended for prosecution. One suspect is said to have held dual roles, operating a rescue service while also managing a hospital that treated evacuated tourists, according to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shiva Kumar Shrestha.

Helicopter companies have also come under scrutiny. Operators linked to Mountain Helicopter, Manang Air and Altitude Air have been named in the report, alongside others accused of facilitating the fraudulent evacuations, the report identified.

The investigation further recommends legal action against five individuals connected to Era International Hospital for allegedly participating in financial fraud by issuing false medical bills, said the Bureau officials.

Similarly, action has also been recommended against Mukti Pandey and Subash KC of Everest Experience and Assistance Pvt. Ltd., who had already been arrested earlier, Bibek Pandey and Jaya Ram Rimal of Mountain Rescue Services. Investigations have revealed that Rimal is not only involved in a rescue company but is also an operator of Swacon Hospital, where tourists brought in through fake rescues were treated.

Likewise, action has been recommended against Bibek Raj Thapaliya and Rabindra Adhikari of Nepal Charter Services; Dr. Girvanraj Timilsina, operator of Shreedi International Hospital; and Minalma Pandey and Shyam Sundar Kandel of Swacon Hospital. Among the 16 trekking companies listed for prosecution are Himalayan Masters Adventure and Travel Company, including Sandip Dhungana, and Royal Holidays, including Sandip Tiwari. 

Similarly, operators of four helicopter companies involved in fake rescues have also been recommended for prosecution. The roles of Rajendra Bahadur Singh and Sandip Bhandari of Mountain Helicopter; Prakash Babu Dahal of Manang Air; and Chandra Prasad Pyakurel, also known as Sudip, along with Pasang Dawa Tamang of Altitude Air, have also been established, and they have been recommended for prosecution. 

The CIB has also recommended filing cases against five individuals from Era International Hospital, accused of being part of a group that fraudulently charged money by issuing bills for patients who did not actually exist. Of the 33 individuals recommended for prosecution, 23 remain  at large, said the CIB. 

Authorities have suggested charges including offences against national interest, criminal profiteering, document-related crimes and organised crime. The report also calls for the recovery of approximately Rs. 980 million and the imposition of custodial sentences, according to the Bureau.

The scandal has cast a shadow over Nepal’s tourism sector, a vital pillar of the national economy. Fake rescue practices, widely criticised for damaging the country’s international reputation, have raised serious concerns about regulation and accountability in high-altitude tourism services.