‘Saravana Bhavan’ founder surrenders

Chennai, July 9

Founder of popular South Indian food chain ‘Saravana Bhavan’, P Rajagopal surrendered before a sessions court here today to serve a life term in a murder case, hours after the SC rejected his plea seeking more time.

Fourth Additional Sessions Judge G Thanendran accepted the surrender applications of Rajagopal and another convict, Janardhanan, after recording their statements and sent them to custody.

Later, they were taken to a government medical college hospital here and admitted to the "convict ward" as per the doctors' advice, a police official said. "They are currently in the hospital as per the doctors' advice who assessed their health condition," he said.

Rajagopal, who had moved the apex court citing health reasons, was brought to the premises of the sessions court in an ambulance. Janardhanan was brought in another ambulance.

The counsel for the convicts argued that both of them suffered from serious ailments and it would not be possible to bring them to the court located on the third floor.

The defence counsel submitted that Rajagopal has 30 per cent blindness and was paralysed as well for the past few months. The public prosecutor, however, insisted that the duo needed to be brought to the court for their surrender petitions to be accepted.

The judge said both can be brought to court using the elevator and directed their production before him for accepting their surrender petitions. While Rajagopal was carried into the court in a stretcher, Janardhanan was brought on a wheelchair and after recording their statements, the judge sent them to custody.

Rajagopal murdered Prince Shantakumar in 2001 to marry his wife Jeevajothi, who was the daughter of a former employee in his hotel. — PTI