Thapa, who has been a NC member ever since Nepal´s first democratic movement in the 50s, had left for Banglore, India on August 11. He was accompanying his daughter Tulasa to Whitefield Hospital of Banglore, which is run by Satya Saibaba Trust, for her heart surgery.
As Tulasa´s surgery date was postponed by two weeks, Thapa, along with her heart-patient daughter, boarded a Banglore-Delhi train. Thapa wanted to stay in his son Ramraj´s room in Delhi, waiting for Tulasa´s surgery date. Ramraj has been working in Delhi for the last 10 years now. [break]
However, on the way to Delhi, a group of local thugs tried to snatch away Tulasa´s wallet. When Thapa intervened, he was thrown out of the train. A shocked Tulasa had the train stopped by pulling an emergency chain. When she returned to the spot where Thapa was thrown, he had almost died. Only his heart was beating. He was bleeding profusely. He had deep cuts on his nape and legs.
According to Ramraj, who is now home to mourn his father´s death, the tragedy occurred when the train was passing through Rajasthan. Thapa was rushed to a hospital in Dholakpur, Rajasthan. He died before he was admitted in the hospital.
"We were helpless," says Ramraj. "Nobody helped us. We sought the Indian police´s help. They tried to help us. But, they did not find the thugs involved in my father´s murder." Thapa was cremated in Muktidham of India.
Thapa´s 71-year-old wife Hari Priya has been grief-stricken ever since she heard the incident. "My husband was the pillar of our whole family," says she. "Our family is shattered now. I am equally worried about my daughter."
Bhishma Pradhan, NC Ilam constituency-1 president, says Thapa´s murder has shocked the party. "We´ll always hold his contribution to the party in high esteem," says he.
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