Cheliah was born and raised in Singapore where he attended Swiss Cottage Secondary School and ITE College, Yishun.
[1] For 12 years, Cheliah worked for the Special Tactics and Rescue (STAR) unit of the Singapore Police Force (SPF), where he trained in tactics, rescue operations, counter terrorism, kidnappings and high-profile protection in the riot police.
[4] Cheliah's interest in food began by watching his mother, who owned a café, and his aunties prepare family meals.
[6] Cheliah started a pop-up restaurant named Gaja by Sashi in the Melbourne CBD, serving Singaporean dishes.
[7] In November 2019, Cheliah opened his restaurant Gaja in his home town of Adelaide.