Chennai: P Rajagopal, the owner of Saravana Bhavan, a vegetarian hotel chain, after a dramatic surrender at Fourth Additional Sessions Court, Madras High Court in an ambulance is currently admitted to the Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU) of Stanley government hospital.
According to the police, “He is in the IMCU. After his surrender in court yesterday, he was brought here at 6.15 pm. He is stable. He has giddiness and is taking treatment for it. Doctors will decide on his discharge from hospital. But once discharged, he will be taken for remand to Puzhal.”
Rajagopal had moved the Supreme Court for extension of deadline for his surrender, citing health reasons.
The apex court had granted him a deadline of 7 July to surrender; however, he got himself admitted to a private hospital.
In 2001, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail by a trial court on charges of kidnapping and killing Prince Santhakumar. Based on an astrologer’s advice, Rajagopal wished to marry Santhakumar’s wife Jeevajyothi as his third wife.
In 2004, the Madras High Court sentenced him and five others to life imprisonment. The decision was upheld by the Supreme Court in March 2019 and he was ordered to surrender by 7 July.
His accomplices, including Daniel, Karmegam, Zakir Hussain, Kasi Viswanathan and Patturajan, surrendered before the fourth additional sessions court in Chennai on the given date.