Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah Discusses Kalapani-Lipulekh Dispute with China and UK Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah announced on Sunday that he had engaged in discussions with China and the United Kingdom regarding the contentious Kalapani-Lipulekh region, according to reports from The Kathmandu Post. The dispute, which has long been a source of tension between Nepal and India, involves the border area near the trijunction of India, Tibet, and Nepal. Shah emphasized that the United Kingdom should also be involved in resolving the issue, citing historical ties to the region during the British colonial era. India has consistently maintained that the Kalapani area is part of the Indian state of Uttarakhand and has rejected Nepal’s territorial claims. Shah, however, accused both Kathmandu and New Delhi of encroaching on each other’s land, though he did not specify which regions in India were allegedly affected. He stated that the Nepali government had sent a diplomatic note to India regarding the encroachment, and that India had responded. The border dispute between India and Nepal escalated in 2019 after Nepal objected to an Indian map that included Kalapani as part of Indian territory. India denied altering its border with Nepal, asserting the map accurately represented its territory. Tensions further intensified in May 2020 when India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, inaugurated a new route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through the Lipulekh Pass. Nepal argued that this road construction violated a 1816 treaty with British colonizers, which it claims grants it sovereignty over the area. In June 2020, Nepal’s Parliament amended its constitution to include the Kalapani-Lipulekh region as part of its territory.#india #united_kingdom #kathmandu_post #nepal_prime_minister_balendra_shah #kalapani_lipulekh
Everest Guides Accused of Poisoning Climbers to Stage Fake Rescues in $20M Insurance Fraud Scheme Nepali police have accused guides working on Mount Everest of secretly drugging foreign climbers to trigger costly aerial evacuations as part of a $20 million insurance fraud scheme. The investigation, led by the Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), revealed that operators of mountain rescue companies orchestrated the scam between 2022 and 2025, affecting 4,782 international climbers. Over 300 alleged fake rescue cases were uncovered, with insurance payouts totaling nearly $20 million. The scandal has intensified scrutiny over tour operators, guides, and rescue services as this year’s spring climbing season began on March 30. Investigators identified a network of actors across the trekking industry, including sherpas, trekking company owners, helicopter operators, and hospital executives. Six rescue company operators and managers were arrested on January 25 for allegedly faking rescues to claim insurance money. These companies reportedly extracted nearly $20 million from international insurers by fabricating emergency evacuations for tourists who had not fallen ill. The CIB stated that the fraud harmed Nepal’s national reputation, damaging its standing internationally. According to the investigation, guides used various methods to force helicopter evacuations. Some faked medical emergencies, while others laced food with baking powder to induce symptoms of altitude sickness. Others administered excessive water with medications to trigger nausea, dizziness, or body aches. Once climbers reported these symptoms, they were advised to descend and agree to expensive emergency evacuations. Operators then used forged medical and flight documents to claim costs from travel insurers.#kathmandu_post #nepal_police #central_investigation_bureau #nepal_tourism_board #simon_calder
Inside Nepal’s fake rescue racket The Kathmandu Post first uncovered the scheme in 2018, revealing a sophisticated insurance fraud network exploiting Nepal’s helicopter rescue operations. Despite government investigations and reforms, the scam persisted and expanded, with authorities confirming its continued growth in recent years. The fraudulent system operates by fabricating medical emergencies, orchestrating fake rescue missions, and submitting inflated insurance claims to foreign insurers. The complexity of the scheme lies in its ability to obscure the truth, leveraging the remote and high-altitude nature of Nepal’s trekking routes to evade oversight. The mechanics of the fraud involve staged emergencies, where tourists are either coerced or incentivized to fake illnesses. Guides and hotel staff play a central role, often using tactics to induce symptoms of altitude sickness. In some cases, they administer Diamox tablets alongside excessive water to create the appearance of severe health issues. In other instances, food is tampered with, such as adding baking powder to meals, to make tourists physically unwell. These actions justify the need for immediate helicopter evacuation, which is then exploited for financial gain. Once a rescue is initiated, the financial exploitation begins. A single helicopter flight, which costs around $4,000, is split into multiple invoices, each submitted to a different insurance company. Fake flight manifests and load sheets are fabricated to ensure each passenger’s claim appears legitimate. Hospitals further complicate the fraud by generating false medical records, including digital signatures from senior doctors who were never involved in the case.#kathmandu_post #nepal_chartered_service #shreedhi_hospital #era_international_hospital #mountain_rescue_service
