Owner of the Saravana Bhavan chain of restaurants P. Rajagopal, 72, who was ailing, died in a city hospital on Thursday. Last week, he surrendered in a sessions court to serve the life sentence awarded to him for abduction and murder of an employee in 2001. The court later allowed him to be shifted to a private hospital for treatment.
He is survived by two wives and two sons and leaves behind a legacy in the form of the Saravana Bhavan chain of restaurants.
Rajagopal was named the prime accused in the kidnapping and murder of Prince Santhakumar.
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According to the prosecution, either upon the advice of an astrologer or having become besotted with Jeevajothi, Santhakumar’s wife, he evinced a keen desire to take her as his third wife, and urged her to split up with her husband.
Faced with resistance from her, Rajagopal made several failed attempts, with the help of others, to break the couple up. On his instructions, hired hands kidnapped Santhakumar, killed him and dumped the body in the forest area of Tiger Chola near Kodaikanal, the prosecution argued.
After the trial concluded in a special court at Poonamallee, Rajagopal was awarded a 10-year rigorous imprisonment and a fine in 2004. On an appeal by the State government, the Madras High Court in 2009 sentenced him to life term.
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Last March, the Supreme Court upheld the order of the Madras High Court and asked him and others to surrender by July 7. As the Supreme Court again rejected his plea for further time on health grounds, Rajagopal had to surrender on July 9. He was brought in an ambulance and produced before the court. However, he was admitted to a hospital the same evening owing to health problems.