Chennai: The Madras High Court has granted permission to shift convicted owner of Saravana Bhavan group of hotels, P Rajagopal, from Stanley Government Hospital to a private hospital for better treatment.
Rajagopal surrendered in court on a stretcher after being handed down a life sentence for the murder of Prince Santhakumar, whose wife he coveted and wanted to marry. Jeevajothi, the woman involved, was the daughter of Rajagopal’s employee.
Jeevajothi was adamant in not wanting to marry Rajagopal, and stayed with Prince. So, Rajagopal physically separated them and had the man murdered by his henchmen in 2001.
The case has been going on for years now and Rajagopal was out on bail. On 9 July, the judgement and quantum of punishment were delivered. He was sentenced to life and told to surrender.
But the business magnate sought time to surrender citing health issues. As this was denied by the top court, he came to the court on a stretcher and surrendered.
He was then shifted to Puzhal prison and later admitted to Stanley Government Hospital. But on Saturday, he is said to have had a heart attack and put on ventilator.
So, his son P Saravanan, filed a plea in court yesterday to shift him to a private hospital, either Vijaya hospital or SRM hospital in Vadapalani. He said Stanley hospital did not have the facilities to treat his father’s complicated condition.
Saravanan stated that his 72-year-old father was seriously ill, immobilised and in bedridden condition with due care from two attendants round-the-clock.
Rajagopal, it is said, suffers from chronic diabetes, owing to which he has a kidney malfunction as well. He also has heart problems, difficulty in walking owing to various conditions, acute gastroenteritis, etc., apart from multiple systemic diseases.
As per latest reports. the dean of Stanley hospital has said it was too risky to shift Rajagopal to a private hospital now, given his health condition, which he described as serious.