Devendra "Dev" Alahan first appeared on the show in November 1999. He is the owner of a chain of seven shops in the Manchester area and bought the Corner Shop on the Street from his uncle Ravi Desai after he returned to India.
Dev as Adam Ant at the jubilee street party
Early years
Amy Goskirke, a former girlfriend, followed Dev to Weatherfield, claiming he had promised to marry her. He denied this, claiming she was a mad woman, so she claimed she was expecting his child and pretended to attempt suicide. Upon returning to the Rovers Return Inn with bandaged wrists, Dev exposed her lies by ripping off the bandages, revealing no cuts.
Sometime later, Dev almost married barmaid Geena Gregory, but her mother was unhappy about this situation. She paid Karen McDonald to set him up and they were caught together in the flat. Although she forgave him on that occasion, Geena and Dev later split and she got together with Joe Carter.
Romance with Sunita
Dev saved shopworker Sunita Parekh from an arranged marriage in India and gave her a safe haven in the flat above the shop. Sunita developed feelings for Dev but he just saw her as a friend, though they later became involved.
His other girlfriends included the sister of Natalie Horrocks (landlady of the Rover's Return), and Tracy Barlow, who wrecked his flat after discovering he had no intention of marrying her. He also slept with Deirdre Barlow, who he employed at the shop.
Dev later met solicitor Maya Sharma, when on the rebound from Sunita, who chose barman Ciaran McCarthy over him. He set up home with Maya, but when Sunita became seriously ill, Maya got jealous of the amount of time he spent with Sunita and forced Dev to choose between them. Dev chose Sunita, enraging Maya, and she smashed up the flat and set Sunita up with an illegal immigration scam, and she was arrested at her wedding to Dev. Sunita was jailed but released when a taxi driver came forward with information that implicated Maya.
Maya was released on bail, and with murder in mind she tied up Sunita and one by one set fire to each of Dev's shops. When Dev arrived, she knocked him unconscious, and left them to die in the fire, but Ciaran and Charlie Stubbs saved them.
Twins
Sunita produced twins Aadi and Asha in 2006. After her death, they received much care from Mary Taylor.
Sunita's death
Sunita died as the result of the pub fire lit by Karl Foster after he pushed her down the stairs when she was trying to stop the arson. Dev grieved for a long time and declined to go to the police with the strong hints he had had about Karl's guilt. Later he formed relationships with Mary Taylor and other women.
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Quotes
"Nita... long time no see, how's things? Uncle Ravi?" (First line)
See also