We have been discussing the trend of firings and discipline for public employees who say or do controversial things in their private lives. We have previously seen teachers, students and other public employees fired for their private speech or conduct, including school employees fired for posing in magazines, appearing on television shows in bikinis, or having a career in the adult entertainment industry. Now there is an interesting twist on this trend out of India where two police officers — Dinesh Rathod and Tarkeshwari Rathod — have been suspended after police determined that they had lied. No, not about a crime scene or investigation. They lied that they had scaled Mount Everest.
Nepal has canceled their climbing certificates after it was found that they has altered someone else’s photograph to secure their climbing certificates.
Of course, that is a bit more than bravado or the type of “stolen valor” type of cases that we have previously discussed. This was to secure a government document under false pretenses — a document designed to protect climbers.
Of course, the penalty might be that they have to climb Mount Everest. As a lifelong hiker and backpacker, I have never had the inclination or desire to climb Everest. It simply does not appeal to me to go to show an unforgiving and hostile place with its own “death zone.”
Is this something that you would want to do?
“Conduct unbefitting of an officer.”
Possibly they climbed another mountain and mistook it for Everest. Possibly they meant to say they climbed part of Mt. Everest, but the journalists left the out “part of”. Possibly they were building long term alibi’s in order to deceive their spouses in the future,” Darling Dinesh and I are going to go Climb Everest again this weekend”.
The police officers should have pled the Hillary defense: i.e., they did not intend to fake the pictures.
That “government document” is less about climbers’ safety and more about rescuers’ safety and the price thereof. If those 2 bozos had gone up unprepared/untrained, got themselves in a jam, and had to be brought back down, it would cost the government a pretty penny. While a mere piece paper can’t prevent a catastrophe, the fee – paid by ALL climbers – helps defray the costs of rescue (or body recovery).
They were right to lose their jobs. Climbing Everest is a big deal and forging documents is illegal.
Mountain climbing doesn’t peak my interest at all.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Ouch…
Thanks! I was afraid nobody would get that, and I would have a fit of peak.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
I see mountain climbing a lot like hitting a little ball into a hole a hundred or more yards away. A complete waste of time.
In India, you do not make light of Mount Everest !!!
No way, Jose! Although, I must say that I read a lot of nonfiction and the mountain climbing books are some of the best reads. Lots of adventure, drama and excitement.
Cops get the benefit of the doubt in a “he said/she said” situation, so we need them to have integrity.
If you have a known liar giving testimony, you risk the state’s case being impugned.
Cops are human, but since the courts insist on deference, that places an added burden of integrity.