On September 2, 2010, then 35-year-old Shrestha, a retired Gurkha soldier in the Indian army, was on his way to Nepal after retiring from his Gurkha soldier military service whilst 15-40 armed robbers attacked the train in which he was travelling. The group robbed the passengers of their portable valuables (like money, jewellery, cellular phones and laptops). He intervened using his Khukuri knife when the robbers tried to steal the jewelry of a mother and her 8-year-old daughter and attempted to rape an 18 year-old girl who pleaded for his help. Shrestha killed at least three robbers before being subdued and may have injured as many as eight in addition to killing three, causing the thieves to panic and disperse. During the battle, he suffered a severe injury to his left arm.
When the intended rape victim's family offered him a large cash reward, he refused it with the following comment: "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."
He was awarded the Sena Medal for bravery, and the Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak medal for his gallant conduct.