Acclamied Nepali mountaineer Nimsdai (Nirmal Purja) has come under scrutiny lately. The department of Tourism under the Minitstry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has recommended serious action against Nirmal purja and his expedition company- Elite Expeditions. There have been a couple of allegations that have threatened to tarnish his image. He has been accused of conducting illegal activities in Everest region.
As per DoT’s report, Nims Purja tried to tarnish Nepal’s mountaineering industry by circulating a controversial video of rope slicing above the south summit of Everest. He has been scrutinized for holding illegal training for his climbers above the base camp and flying an unauthorized chopper to camp II. He is also rumored to be using Nepali passport to avoid paying the fees required for a British citizen. He is also accused of not paying proper compensation to three people killed in an oxygen cylinder explosion at a storage facility in Kathmandu in 2022.
Furthermore, the nail on the coffin was hit by the recent sexual allegations made against him by former miss Finland and mountaineer Lotta Hintsa and American Physician April Leonardo. On May 31st The New York Times published an article titled, For Female Climbers, Dangers Go Beyond Avalanches and Storms in context to the sexual allegations made against Nirmal Purja. Since the story came out, Nims Purja has lost a number of sponsors. However Nims denied any wrongdoing and accused the Times of leaving out his full statement and eyewitness accounts. His lawyer Philip M. Kelly too has denied the allegations stating them as false.
