Kathmandu, July 4 (IANS): The Nepal government will take action against an Indian couple who allegedly altered photographs of themselves to falsely depict themselves on the Mount Everest summit, an official said on Monday.

The couple allegedly altered photographs of themselves to show as if they had climbed the summit of Mount Everest, and action will be taken against them as per existing laws, Xinhua news agency quoted Sudarshan Dhakal, chief of the Nepali Department of Tourism, as saying.

A probe was launched into the claim by the Indian couple Dinesh Rathod and his spouse Tarakeshwari of having climbed the world's tallest peak on May 21.

Nepal's Tourism Department had issued climbers certificates to the couple after they submitted a photograph of themselves on the Mount Everest.

"Their climbing claim has turned out to be false," Dhakal said adding that the government will form a committee to decide further action against them.

Officials said the couple would lose their climbing certificates and be banned from mountaineering in the Himalayan nation in future.