On September 2, 2010, Bishnu Shrestha was aboard the Maurya Express, silently musing while sitting at his window seat when the train made its way through the rather dense jungles of West Bengal. The 35-year-old ex-Gurkha soldier was on his way home, having just retired from his position as a Naik in the Gurkha infantry in which his own father served as a soldier. It was a still night, too still in fact, but little did he know that it was actually the calm before the storm.

Somewhere around midnight, the train came to an unexpected halt, much to the chagrin of the passengers. Suddenly, armed men, seemingly from every direction boarded the train; some of them were also travelling as passengers, began charging at the innocent looting them with weapons—such as knives, clubs and even swords. 40 thugs in total made their way into the aisles stealing everything from wallets, to jewellery, laptops to watches by waving knives in the faces of terror-stricken hostages.

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In an interview to The Times of India, Bishnu while recounting the incident said, “Suddenly, there were shouts and the sound of running feet. Somebody pulled at my bedclothes. I sat up and found a number of people standing near my feet. They demanded that I hand over all my cash and valuables. There was confusion all around and I shouted that I am an Indian Army jawan [infantryman]. The criminals backed off and turned their attention [elsewhere].... They started snatching jewelry, cell phones, cash, laptops and other belongings from the passengers.”

He was clear from the start, to be quiet, hand over his valuables to the thugs and survive! Money is never worth dying for for a soldier anyway. This was until the robbers turned their attention towards an 18-year-old girl and attempted to gang-rape her in front of her parents. This was it for Bishnu.

He leapt to his feet, drew his ‘Kukri’, flung into action and took on the robbers like a gallant Gurkha soldier! He took control of the woman’s attacker, tackled him and used him as a human shield. He then killed three other thieves and gravely injured eight. The rest of the robbers, coward as they were, fled the scene after seeing Bishnu’s bravery!

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The scuffle gave him a serious blade injury to his left hand, but that did not deter the brave soldier to ensure the safety of the passengers around him. The entire episode was over in 20 minutes. Police and emergency personnel were already waiting when the train pulled at the next station. They rushed Bishnu to the hospital, where he spent two months in recovery. Police, fortunately, arrested the eight injured robbers and recovered valuables worth Rs 400,000 in cash, gold necklaces, cell phones, laptops and other items that the fleeing robbers dropped in the train.

This badass soldier was subsequently awarded two medals for his bravery. He even received a silver-plated kukri and Rs 50,000 cash bonus, as well as the bounty that was on the heads of the gang-members. The family of the girl, whose life he so valiantly saved, also offered him a ‘large cash reward’—but this humble fighter graciously refused the money saying –“Fighting the enemy in battle is my duty as a soldier. Taking on the thugs on the train was my duty as a human being."

Clearly, not all heroes wear capes!

“It is better to die than be a coward.” ~The Royal Gurkha Rifles

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Photo: © BCCL (Main Image)