Author and journalist Bashikant dies at 63

Patna: Author and academic Bashikant Chaudhary, who reported for The Times of India from Saharsa since the launch of the paper in Patna in 1986, died of cardiac arrest in New Delhi on Monday. He was 63 and is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
Born at Mahishi block in Saharsa district, Chaudhary was staying with his son, Piyush, in Delhi at the time of his death.
Neelam Kumari, Piyush’s wife, said, “My father-in-law didn’t have any health problems. On Sunday evening, he complained of gastric problems and had difficulty in breathing when he woke up on Monday morning. He died while we were taking him to a super-speciality hospital for emergency treatment.”
Neelam said Chaudhary was cremated at Haridwar on Tuesday. His “shraddha” ceremony will be held at Mahishi.
Chaudhary, who taught English at Ramesh Jha College in Saharsa, earned a name for himself in journalism through his accurate and in-depth reports covering a wide range of subjects. He also wrote many books in English and Maithili.
Mediapersons across the state deeply mourned his demise.