KATHMANDU, MAY 6

Celebrated climber Nirmal 'Nims' Purja and his company Elite Expedition have been dragged into court after the record-holding mountaineer reportedly refused to compensate a fire victim's family.

More than six months have passed since a massive fire engulfed a residence in Kapan where Purja had rented the bungalow's ground floor for his company office. Three persons were killed and a few others injured when gas canisters stored in the Elite Exped office exploded on September 21.

Tanka Ghising, the bungalow's owner, said he has registered a case against Purja and his company at Kathmandu District Court. 'Despite several attempts to hold negotiation, Purja refused to show up,' Ghising said, adding that he had no option but to seek justice from the court.

Immediately after the incident, Purja said his company owed Ghising compensation, but later refused to pay. 'I lost everything due to their negligence,' Ghising said, adding that his property worth over Rs 50 million was damaged in the blast.

Ghising claims he was not aware Elite Exped had stored a number of gas canisters at his house. 'I had rented them a floor for Rs 30,000 per month to run their office, but they had clandestinely stored LPG and oxygen cylinders there,' Ghising added.

According to Ghising's lawyer Ananta Raj Luitel, storing highly explosive materials in a private residence is a criminal offence and punishable as per the country's law. The perpetrator is liable for proper compensation to the victims against loss and damage caused by such an explosion, Luitel quoted the law. 'Purja and his company should compensate Ghising's family and face punishment for storing explosive material in Ghising's house,' he said, adding that the court had already frozen the company's bank accounts. Ghising's family is now putting up in a tent as the bungalow was damaged in the fire. 'We lost everything and Purja is now threatening us,' Ghising said, adding that Purja even refused to sit for talks with the victim's family.

Purja is now in the Mt Everest region with high-profile clients including Qatari princess Sheikha Asma Al Thani, Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey and SpaceX representative Tyler Carnevale, among others. Purja also guided Bollywood singer Rii to Lobuche Peak this season.

Purja, who illegally used dual passports to scale 14 peaks above 8,000m in a record time, has recently renounced his Nepali passport. 'Purja has used his British passport to obtain a climbing permit for Mt Everest this season,' an official at the Department of Tourism said.

'Elite Exped has been in contact with Ghising since the blast and we have evidence to prove this,' Purja earlier wrote on his social media, claiming, 'Under the Nepal law, there is no obligation to pay any money to Ghising.'

A version of this article appears in the print on May 7, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.