--- title: "This elite Nepalese warrior fought 40 train robbers all by himself" description: "If a bad guy wants to mess with someone, they should probably make sure that someone is not a Nepalese warrior. The Gurkha's are legendary." date: "2022-02-05" modified: "2023-02-02" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/nepalese-warrior-train-robbery/" categories: - "Heroes" - "History" --- # This elite Nepalese warrior fought 40 train robbers all by himself ![]() If a bad guy wants to mess with someone, they should probably make sure that someone is not a Gurkha. [Gurkha are a legendary class of Nepalese warriors]() whose lineage dates back to the Middle Ages. Gurkhas fought first against the British during the colonial era, and the Brits were so impressed by their ability in combat, they decided to enlist them in their military efforts. They've been with the British since the days of the British East India company, through to World War II, and even through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their distinctive knife, the Khukuri, is symbolic of their heroism, bravery, and skill in combat. ![Nepalese warriors, or Gurkhas, in Afghanistan]() *Gurkhas in Afghanistan* A true testament to the ability of these renowned Nepalese warriors is praise for their prowess from friend and foe alike. Indian Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, once stated "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha." Prince Charles once said, "In the world there is only one secure place, that's when you are between Gurkhas." Osama bin Laden once claimed he would "eat Americans alive" if he had Gurkhas on his side. Adolf Hitler said of them, "If I had Gurkhas, no armies in the world would defeat me." ![Nepalese warriors fighting against Hitler]() *Gurkhas in the process of defeating Hitler in 1943.* On Sep. 2, 2010, when Bishnu Prasad Shrestha was returning home after a voluntary retirement from the Indian Army, the train [incident]() happened. At around midnight on the Maurya Express train from Ranchi to Gorakhpur, 40 armed bandits boarded the train and started looting the passengers. He allowed himself to be robbed by the gun- and knife-toting train robbers. When they soon began to mess with an 18-year-old girl in front of her parents, who were watching helplessly, he couldn't sit down any longer. Shrestha lost it. He took out his Khukuri and fought the entire group of 40 robbers single-handedly, killing three of them and injuring eight others. The rest fled. After the incident, he explained: *"They started snatching jewelry, cell phones, cash, laptops and other belongings from the passengers. They had carried out their robbery with swords, blades and pistols. The pistols may have been fake as they didn't fire. The girl cried for help, saying ´You are a soldier, please save a sister.' I prevented her from being raped, thinking of her as my own sister.* During the fight, he took a serious knife wound on his left hand and the girl took a small cut on her neck. He was able to recover what the bandits stole, 200 cell phones, 40 laptops, a significant amount of jewelry, and nearly $10,000 in cash. ![The Nepalese warrior after the train fight]() *Shrestha in the hospital after the train fight.* When the intended rape victim's family offered him a large cash reward, he refused it, 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."* Bishnu Prasad Shrestha held himself to the traditions of his Gurkha regiment and training. Today, Gurkhas fight with British, American, Indian, Nepalese, and Malaysian forces all over the world. After their service ends, they usually return to Nepal to become subsistence farmers. In 2009, the United Kingdom granted pensions at settlement rights to any Gurkha who served the UK for at least four years. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()