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Saravana Bhavan founder P Rajagopal dies of heart attack on Day 11 of his life sentence

He had begun his life sentence on July 9.

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P Rajagopal (72), founder of the popular south Indian restaurant chain Saravana Bhavan died in Chennai on Thursday morning. He suffered a heart attack at the Vijaya Hospital, where he had been admitted three days ago.

Rajagopal had surrendered to the authorities on July 9 to serve his life sentence for the murder of one of his employees. The Madras High Court had rejected his request for more time to surrender on the grounds of poor health. Soon after he had surrendered, he had been admitted to the prison ward of Chennai's Stanley Medical College and Hospital. 

Rajagopal had come to the court in an ambulance and had an oxygen mask attached. Rajagopal's counsel had sought more time for surrender, citing his health condition, only to be rejected by the Madras High Court.

In March this year, the Supreme Court had rejected his appeal against the Madras HC order which upheld the his trial court conviction in the murder case.

The murder case

In 1999, on the advice of an astrologer, Rajagopal had sought to marry a third time, as it was said that it would bring him good fortune. He allegedly wanted to marry the daughter of a Saravana Bhavan employee. The woman whom he wanted to marry was in her twenties and she rejected him. Later the same year, she married Prince Shantakumar, who was also an employee in the Saravana Bhavan restaurant chain.

Rajagopal had allegedly threatened the couple and demanded that they separate. When they resisted his advances Rajagopal had them abducted. The couple filed a complaint with the police on October 1, 2001.

A few days later, Shantakumar went missing, and his body was found by forest officials in a jungle near the Kodaikanal hill station in southern Tamil Nadu. An autopsy said he had been strangled to death.

Shortly after the case garnered attention, Rajagopal surrendered in late 2001 and was released on bail. Later in July 2003, he was again in trouble for trying to bribe the same woman and assaulting her brother.

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