Friends and relatives of Durga Bahadur Bhat Chetri, alias Deepak, have described him as someone who grew up amid acute hardship and instability, and who may have been drawn into the alleged Shyamal Mandal murder plot out of financial desperation.
Deepak, who was arrested by the CBI last Friday in connection with the Shyamal Mandal murder case after remaining absconding for over two decades, has since come into focus not only because of the allegations against him, but also because of the difficult circumstances that, according to people who knew him, marked much of his early life.
The case relates to the abduction and killing of Shyamal Mandal, a BTech student of the College of Engineering Trivandrum and a native of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. According to the prosecution, Mandal was abducted on October 13, 2005, after being contacted by persons known to him from the islands. Investigators have alleged that the accused then demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh from his father, Basudev Mandal. Mandal’s body was later found in a sack among bushes near Kovalam on October 24, 2005.
According to the prosecution’s case, Deepak and alleged co-accused Mohammed Ali knew the victim from their time in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Investigators allege that the two hatched a plan to kidnap Shyamal Mandal in order to extract money from his father, Basudev Mandal, whom they allegedly believed to be financially well-off. The prosecution has further alleged that the victim was later killed to avoid detection.
The case was initially investigated by local police before being handed over to the CBI in 2008. The chargesheet was filed in 2010. Trial in the case began before the CBI special court in Thiruvananthapuram in March 2020. In a report dated March 11, 2020, The Times of India said Mohammed Ali was facing trial at the time, while Deepak, referred to as Durga Jeg Bahadur from Nepal, continued to be shown as an absconder.
The Times of India report said Basudev Mandal, then aged 75, appeared before the court and identified Ali as the person who had contacted him by phone demanding a ransom of Rs 10 lakh to spare his son’s life. The report also said Basudev identified his son’s mobile phone, which had been recovered during the investigation. It further noted that the prosecution case was that Ali had planned the crime to extract money from Basudev Mandal, believing that despite being a school teacher, he was engaged in moneylending and had substantial cash with him.
Difficult early years
The case, however, also throws light on Deepak’s background. A native of Rangat in North and Middle Andaman, he is said to have lost his mother at a young age. Those familiar with the family told this publication that he and his elder sister grew up in deeply difficult circumstances. His father, who worked in the agriculture department, later remarried, and according to sources, the children allegedly faced neglect and repeated mistreatment at home.
Despite this, people who knew Deepak during his school years described him as a bright student. He completed his schooling in Rangat, but the absence of stability at home is said to have pushed him into adult responsibilities early. Sources said he began taking up odd jobs from a young age to support himself and his sister, surviving on irregular work and small earnings.
Friends and relatives said these years left a deep mark on him. By their account, the struggle to secure even basic necessities was a constant feature of his childhood and youth. They believe that this prolonged financial distress may have shaped the choices he later made, though these claims remain personal assessments and not findings of the court.
After the 2004 tsunami, Deepak moved to Chennai for higher studies. According to the prosecution, it was during this period that his association with alleged co-accused Mohammed Ali became central to the events that later formed the basis of the criminal case.
After the incident, Deepak allegedly remained on the run for 21 years, living under assumed identities, including Suraj B. Bhatt in Nagpur. Sources said his family later shifted to Nepal and that he remained in touch with them while continuing to stay out of sight.
His arrest has revived attention on both the criminal case and the life he is said to have led before and after it, one shaped, according to those close to him, by loss, deprivation and a long struggle for survival. The allegations against him will now be tested through the legal process.
