 "Who was Ajay Chowdhury, Charles Sobhraj’s untraceable righthand man?")
“Bikini Killer” Charles Sobhraj, who often targeted European and North American travellers backpacking through Asia in the 1970s, did not act alone. He had a partner in crime. After Sobhraj spiked drinks and killed people – at least 20 – their bodies were disposed of by an accomplice. His name was Ajay Chowdhury.
While much is written about the serial killer, Chowdhury remains a lesser-known figure. With Nepal’s Supreme Court ordering the release of 78-year-old Sobhraj from prison because of deteriorating health, we take a look at how Chowdhury tried to cover up the murders
Also read: Nepal's Supreme Court orders release of serial killer Charles Sobhraj on 'health grounds'
Who is Ajay Chowdhury?
Ajay Chowdhury belonged to a middle-class Indian family and met Charles Sobhraj in New Delhi in 1975. According to a report in The Newsweek, Chowdhury met Sobhraj at a park in Delhi. ‘The Serpent’, as Sobhraj was called for giving law enforcement the slip, offered him a job as a handyman. The high-flying lifestyle attracted Chowdhury and eventually led to the dirty dark world of theft and murder.
Chowdhury eventually assisted Sobhraj in committing the crimes. One of the cases included the stabbing and then burning of American backpacker Connie Jo Boronzich and Canadian tourist Laurent Carriere in Nepal. These murders were among the first he committed.
Where is Ajay Chowdhury now?
No one knows.
Sobhraj and his girlfriend were arrested first in 1976 and sentenced to 10 years in jail. Toward the end of his term, the former escaped from prison to avoid being extradited to Thailand. He was released in 1997, after which he went back to Nepal only to be arrested again. In 2004, Sobhraj was given a life term. Sobhraj’s girlfriend Leclerc died of ovarian cancer in April 1984. She was paroled and deported back to Canada after she testified in court.
However, little is known about Chowdhury’s whereabouts. Reports suggest that before Sobhraj’s arrest in India, he and Chowdhury were spotted in a Malaysian jungle, where they obtained gems from a town. Only Sobhraj was seen leaving the jungle, which led to speculations that Chowdhury might have been killed.
Some believe Sobhraj murdered his righthand man. But his body was never found. The Serpent, however, has denied that claim.
There are also speculations that Chowdhury was spotted in Germany’s Frankfurt in late 1976. The Interpol file on him remains open.
Nevertheless, Chowdhury vanished and has not been spotted for 40 years. The Nepal Police had been searching for him until 2008, according to The Newsweek report. He was wanted for murders, thefts and robberies and is suspected to have burned the bodies of Sobhraj’s victims in Khatmandu.
Like his boss, Chowdhury also managed to give the police a slip. Bishwa Lal Shrestha, a police officer who investigated the case in 1975, told The Newsweek, “After discovering the bodies, we traced Chowdhury to a hotel, Monumental Lodge, in Kathmandu. But he had escaped minutes before we reached the place.”
Also read: 'Serial killer' Charles Sobhraj undergoes heart surgery in Kathmandu
What more is known about Chowdhury?
Not much but the British miniseries called _The Serpent_ depicts how Sobhraj, Leclerc, and Chowdhury befriended, poisoned, robbed, impersonated, and killed western tourists who travelled to Thailand, India, and Nepal in the 1970s. The crime drama shows Chowdhury as one of the primary villains culpable in numerous crimes committed by Shobhraj.
Ajay Chowdhury’s character has been brilliantly portrayed by actor Amesh Edireweera, who describes the experience as “very harrowing.”
Speaking about his character, Edireweera told BBC, “Ajay is from Mumbai and comes from nothing. He meets Charles, and in the chase for the high life becomes his right-hand man. This leads him to make choices that propel him to a much darker side of himself.”
Also read: Why 'Bikini Killer' Charles Sobhraj is being released from Nepal prison after 19 years
Why is Sobhraj being released from Nepal prison?
Nepal’s apex court on Wednesday ordered the release of Sobhraj citing his health condition and age.
A bench comprising Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Til Prasad Shrestha said that he needed open heart surgery. Notably, the serial killer had earlier filed a petition demanding an exemption on his lifetime term on the ground of old age. He claimed that he was put in prison for more than the period recommended for him on the murder charge.
With inputs from agencies
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