Aaj Tak's deputy news director Ajay Chaudhary passes away

He would be fondly remembered at Aaj Tak as Ajay ‘Dada' - big brother.

A road accident near Ajmer claimed the life of Ajay Chaudhary, deputy news director, Aaj Tak, on February 25. He was just 41. His mother, wife (Rupa Chaudhary) and son (Aditya Chaudhary) survive him.

At Aaj Tak, Chaudhary has left a greatly inspired team very sad. Chaudhary was one of the key figures behind the launch of India's first 24-hr Hindi news channel Aaj Tak. He was responsible for the content and programming on the channel. Remembering his contribution to Aaj Tak, Uday Shankar, news director, Aaj Tak, says, "He was the man who gave the linguistic flavour to Aaj Tak, for which the channel is known today. In fact, he was the first one to introduce the concept of stringing words with picture, called writing to picture in television parlance."

Shankar adds, "After SP Singh, Ajay was the only person who had that kind of an influence on the people here. It is a great loss. Many people have cut their teeth under his guidance. He will always be looked upon as a mentor and guide."

Grieving the loss of Chaudhary, Aroon Purie, editor-in-chief, India Today Group, says, "Ajay was an integral part of the Aaj Tak family right from the time it started on Doordarshan in I995. ‘Dada', as he was known in the office, will be greatly missed by all his colleagues. We will miss his cheerful disposition, his willingness to take on new challenges, his superb command of the language and his broadcasting skills. His contribution to the success of Aaj Tak will always be remembered." G Krishnan, ED & CEO, Aaj Tak, adds, "He was very innovative and very good at crisis management. He will be missed dearly."

Chaudhary began his career in print journalism. He has worked with Ravivar, a weekly magazine, and daily Amar Ujala. In September 1994, he joined the TV Today Network. © 2003 agencyfaqs!