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Supreme Court declines Saravana Bhavan owner’s plea for extending time to surrender

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7 years ago

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Supreme Court declines Saravana Bhavan owner’s plea for extending time to surrender

The Supreme Court today (Tuesday, July 9) refused relief to P Rajagopal, the owner of Saravana Bhavan hotel chain, who cited medical grounds for extension of time to surrender in a case of murder of his employee 18 years ago.

Rajagopal was supposed to surrender on July 7 as per a March 2019 judgment of the Supreme Court, holding him guilty in the case and sentencing him to life imprisonment.

The case had attracted international attention, as much for its sensational nature as for the fact that Saravana Bhavan, a well-known restaurant chain, has outlets in 20 countries including the US, the UK, France and Australia. There are 25 restaurants in India including in Delhi.

In 2004 P Rajagopal was convicted in the kidnapping and murder of an employee, Santhakumar. A local court had sentenced Rajagopal and five others involved in the murder to 10 years in prison, said media reports. Five years later the Madras High Court upheld the verdict and increased the sentence to life in prison, a punishment then upheld by the Supreme Court in March this year.

In its order, a three judge bench of Justices NV Ramana, Mohan M Shantanagoudar and Indira Banerjee had held that, “Having regard to the entire material on record and the totality of the facts and circumstances, we find that the evidence on record fully proves the case of the prosecution.”

Following the Supreme Court’s confirmation of his sentence, the Rajagopal was expected to surrender before the court or the local police on July 7, Sunday. However, he failed to do so. It is reported that he got admitted to a hospital on July 4, after spending the last few months since his sentence at his Ashok Nagar residence.

He filed a petition in the apex court seeking an extension of the deadline to surrender, saying he had been hospitalised and needed more time. The hearing had been postponed to Tuesday.

However, Rajagopal’s accomplices, including Daniel, Karmegam, Zakir Hussain, Kasi Viswanathan and Patturajan, surrendered before the fourth additional session court in Chennai.

Today, the Bench of Justices NV Ramana, M Mohan Shanatanagoudar, and Ajay Rastogi said he must surrender immediately. “If he was so ill, why did he not choose to indicate the same during the hearing of his appeal here?” Justice NV Ramana asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Rajagopal, on Tuesday.

“No more adjournments now,” Justice Mohan M Shantanagoudar, on the Bench, observed orally.

Giving the background of the case, an NDTV report said that the case, which has attracted considerable attention both in India and abroad, goes back to the 1990s, when Rajagopal wanted to marry Jeevajothi, the daughter of an assistant manager at Saravana Bhavan’s Chennai branch.

At the time Rajagopal already had two wives and Jeevajothi had refused his proposal. She married Santakumar in 1999. The prosecution told the court Rajagopal threatened the couple in 2001 and demanded they call off the marriage.

The couple even filed a complaint at a local police station saying they were intimidated by the Rajagopal’s gang. On October 26, 2001, Shanthakumar was kidnapped and strangled to death by Rajagopal’s henchmen.

The Forest Department found Shanthakumar’s body in Tiger Chola Forests. A charge sheet was filed under Section 302(murder), 364(abduction) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the IPC.

In 2004, a special court found the hotelier guilty and awarded him 10-years of rigorous imprisonment. The Saravana Bhavan owner challenged the special court’s decision and the prosecution sought enhancement of the punishment. In 2009, the Madras High Court enhanced the punishment of Rajagopal to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 55 lakh, including Rs 50 lakh as compensation to Jeevajyothi.

On March 29, 2019, dismissing appeals against the 2009 verdict of the Madras High Court, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices NV Ramana, Mohan M Shantanagoudar and Indira Banerjee ruled: “In our considered opinion, the prosecution has proved the complicity of all the appellants in murdering Santhakumar by strangulating him and thereafter throwing the dead body at Tiger Chola (in Kodaikanal).”

The Supreme Court had concluded that the steadfast testimonies of Jeevajothi and her family, the circumstantial evidence, recovery of personal items, such as the wallet and a gold chain of the victim, along with forensic techniques such as the superimposition test to identify the body, undoubtedly pointed to the guilt of Rajagopal and his henchman. All of them had appealed in the Supreme Court after the Madras High Court had convicted and sentenced him to undergo life imprisonment.

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3 dead, several trapped after six-storey building collapses in Delhi, rescue operations continue

Three people died and two were critically injured after a six-storey PG building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan. Several others are feared trapped.

Published

6 hours ago

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September 6, 2026

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Three people have died and two others are critically injured after a six-storey building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon. Several more people are feared trapped under the debris as rescue operations continue at the site.

Nine people have been rescued so far, while authorities are searching for others who may still be trapped. The building, which was being used as a 75-bed paying guest accommodation, collapsed at around 1:30 pm, according to officials.

Building was being used as a PG accommodation

According to police, the building was around 40 to 50 years old and consisted of a basement and five upper floors. It was being used as a paying guest accommodation, with repair work reportedly underway in the basement when the collapse occurred.

The building was located in Satya Niketan, near Delhi University’s South Campus, an area with a large student population.

An eyewitness said at least 50 students were believed to have been inside the building when it collapsed. A student at the scene also reported hearing cries for help from beneath the rubble.

Rescue operation underway

Teams from the Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Disaster Management Authority have been deployed for the rescue operation.

At least 12 fire tenders have been sent to the spot. An excavator has also been deployed, while additional machinery is being brought in to remove concrete slabs and girders from the debris.

Locals were also seen helping with the initial search before rescue teams and machinery reached the site.

The adjacent building has been vacated as a precautionary measure, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said. She added that rescue work was being carried out on a war footing and that authorities were coordinating efforts to assist those affected.

Government agencies coordinate rescue efforts

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu said concerned agencies, including the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service and DDMA, had been directed to work together to ensure swift rescue operations.

Local BJP MLA Anil Sharma, who was at the site, said some students were still believed to be trapped and that some were reportedly making calls from inside the collapsed structure.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj blamed alleged corruption for the incident and raised questions about building safety and inspections. His comments were political allegations and no official cause for the collapse has been established in the report.

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PM Modi takes aim at critics with Dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC centenary address

PM Modi revived his dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC’s centenary celebrations and spoke about India’s development journey.

Published

15 hours ago

on

September 6, 2026

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PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived his ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark while addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi on Saturday, using the term to criticise his opponents.

Speaking to students at the Delhi college, PM Modi described the phrase as a “homeopathic pill” and said it had prompted those he described as “dimagi Naxals” to come forward and reveal their views.

The prime minister also used his address to speak to Gen-Z about India’s development journey and asked students to consider the challenges the country had faced in the past.

PM Modi recalls past crises

During his speech, PM Modi referred to the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and the 2008 global financial crisis while criticising the handling of national emergencies by previous governments.

He said the government at the time of the Kedarnath disaster was shaken and questioned its ability to respond to the crisis.

Referring to the 2008 banking crisis, PM Modi alleged that the government of the time failed to effectively deal with the situation and claimed that India’s banking system was pushed close to collapse.

Prime minister lists challenges faced by his government

PM Modi also highlighted several major global crises that occurred during his government’s tenure.

He mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, disruptions to global trade and supply chains, and the crisis in West Asia.

The prime minister said there had been concerns that India would struggle during these crises but argued that the country had continued to move forward.

PM Modi’s earlier SRCC visit

PM Modi had earlier visited SRCC in 2013, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. His speech at the college received significant attention, particularly on social media, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

His latest visit came during the college’s centenary celebrations, where his address focused on young people, India’s development ambitions and the challenges faced by the country.

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India Metro Rail Network May Overtake US in 2 Years

India’s metro rail network has reached 1,170 km across 26 cities. Union minister Manohar Lal said the country could overtake the US in network length within two years.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

Manohar Lal Khattar

India is on track to become the country with the second-largest metro rail network in the world after China, with Union Minister Manohar Lal saying the country could overtake the United States within the next two years.

India’s metro rail network has now expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities. The network is only 216 km shorter than the US metro rail network, which stands at 1,386 km, according to figures cited by the minister.

India’s metro network expands rapidly

Speaking after the inauguration of an extended metro service in Indore, Manohar Lal highlighted the pace at which metro connectivity has grown in India.

He said metro services were operational across just 245 km in five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014. The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities.

The minister said India could overtake the US in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years and become the world’s second-largest country in this segment after China.

China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, according to the figures cited by the minister.

Indore metro extension inaugurated

The minister made the remarks after inaugurating an extended section of the Indore metro. The project was built at a cost of around Rs 2,850 crore.

The Indore metro was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations. Following the extension, the service will operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the metro service would mark a new phase in Indore’s development. He also said the network would eventually be extended to Ujjain and other nearby areas.

India’s metro rail network: Key figures

  • India currently has 1,170 km of operational metro rail network.
  • Metro services are operational across 26 cities.
  • The US has around 1,386 km of metro rail network.
  • India is currently 216 km behind the US.
  • China has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines.
  • India’s operational network stood at 245 km across five cities in 2014.

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