Truck thief dies in Panchthar accident like in reel

By Radha Luitel 

Phidim, Oct. 19: A road accident in Panchthar has uncovered the extreme lengths some individuals go to for material gain, following the death of 32-year-old Lhakpa Nurbu Sherpa from Taplejung.

What initially appeared to be an usual accident soon revealed a shocking criminal case. Police investigations determined that Sherpa had murdered a friend in Kathmandu to steal a pickup truck, driven to Panchthar, where it ultimately crashed.

According to Panchthar District Traffic Police Chief, Punya Gautam, the story of the pickup feels like a movie plot.

“On Wednesday afternoon, during a routine traffic check, a pickup truck travelling from Ilam failed to stop. It drove past Phidim towards Hewa Khola. Suspecting the act of the driver, police on motorcycles chased the vehicle for some time but lost it when it diverted onto rough roads near Subhang and then towards Ichhapa. Eventually, the officers returned to headquarters,” Gautam explained.

Shortly afterwards, the pickup, travelling from Sallerie to Ichhapa along the Tamor Corridor, met with an accident, killing the driver on the spot. Locals and nearby representatives quickly arrived at the scene, followed by police.

An inspection revealed mismatched number plates and documents; the plate on the truck read BA 7 CHA 5449, while another plate displayed NA 2 CHA 1651, prompting further investigation.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Anish Kumar Karna confirmed that the pickup had been stolen on October 11 from Kathmandu, and its owner, 42-year-old Suresh Shrestha of Sindhupalchok, had been murdered prior to the theft. 

Police matched the vehicle’s chassis, engine, and other details, confirming that Sherpa had transported the stolen pickup to Panchthar, where the fatal accident occurred. CCTV footage of Shrestha’s murder in Kirtipur on October 11 had circulated on social media just two days before the accident. 

Sherpa, a local of Fungling Municipality-9, Taplejung, had told his father he was bringing home a new vehicle he could drive locally.

Sherpa’s body was handed over to his family after the post-mortem. Police confirmed that he was both the perpetrator of Shrestha’s murder and the driver of the stolen vehicle involved in the crash.