KATHMANDU, AUGUST 8
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has suspended operation of Mustang Helicopter, owned by celebrated mountaineer Nirmal 'Nims' Purja, for not maintaining minimum safety level.
Gyanendra Bhul, information officer at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, said that the aviation regulatory body today decided to suspend operation of Mustang helicopter as it failed to meet the minimum level of acceptable safety management system.
"Mustang and Annapurna Helicopters have been found unsafe for operations," Bhul said, adding that CAAN also warned them to suspend their Air Operator Certificates (AOC) any time soon.
"We have given 72 hours to Mustang and Annapurna Helicopters for clarification," Bhul said, adding that they needed to clarify why their AOCs should not be cancelled for ignoring aviation safety standards.
CAAN said that Mustang and Annapurna Helicopters failed to maintain acceptable level (60%) of the safety management system set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Nims Purja, who played foul in mountaineering through his Elite Exped, owns 53 per cent shares of Mustang Helicopter. Owner Nims Purja and company's General Manager Abhinav Karki couldn't be reached for the comment. Being the owner of a helicopter company, Purja also commandeered an illegal flight to Everest Camp II last spring season, the CAAN noticed.
Nims Purja, who recently made headlines for wrongdoings, has also been dragged to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for allegedly violating Tourism Act, evading taxes and defaming Sherpa community and Nepal's tourism sector.
Nims Purja misled the world by saying that when he was climbing the world's tallest peak, Sherpas cut the rope above 8000 meters to halt his expedition. Despite repeated calls for action against Purja, the concerned agencies- Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and Department of Tourism have failed to take action against Purja. Tourism entrepreneurs claimed that Purja attempted to bribe officials who were supposed to initiate action against him.
Purja who became a British citizen one year ago, continues to misuse his NRN card for expedition, evading a huge amount of taxes. Purja reportedly collected a huge sum from his clients through his Elite Exped, an agency based in the United Kingdom.
The New York Times news report on sexual misconduct allegation levelled against Purja had tarnished the image of Nepal's mountaineering section, according to a complaint filed at CIAA. The complaint also states that Nims Dai store at Marriot Hotel in Naxal sold goods for which tax had not been paid to the government. NYT article also claimed that Purja allegedly assaulted his foreign female client at the same hotel, breaching its 'harassment policy.'
The complaint states that Purja violated Section 38 of Tourism Act but no action has been taken against him.
