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

Published

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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LPU students protest over reported rape allegation, police call it rumour

Students at Lovely Professional University protested over a reported rape allegation involving a worker, with police describing the claim as a rumour.

Published

20 hours ago

on

September 27, 2026

By

Students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab staged a protest after an allegation involving the reported rape of a student by a worker at the university surfaced.

The protest led to disruption around the university, with students taking to the streets and blocking the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, according to the report.

The allegation triggered anger among students, who demanded action over the reported incident.

Police describe rape claim as rumour

Police, however, described the rape claim as a rumour, indicating that the allegation had not been established as a confirmed incident.

The distinction is important because the reported sexual assault allegation should not be treated as a confirmed rape unless investigators or other authoritative sources establish that fact.

The protests nevertheless continued as students sought clarity and action over the issue.

Protest disrupts traffic

The student demonstration also affected traffic on the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway. The protest brought attention to the allegations and the concerns being raised by students at the university.

With police calling the claim a rumour, further verification and investigation would be necessary to establish what actually happened.

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INDIA bloc likely to meet on September 30 over Gyanesh Kumar row

INDIA bloc parties are likely to meet in New Delhi on September 30 amid growing opposition to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 26, 2026

By

Rahul-Gandhi

Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc are set to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss concerns surrounding the Election Commission, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a proposed removal motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The proposed meeting comes amid growing coordination among opposition parties over the functioning of the poll panel and demands for action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The parties are also discussing a possible joint response to the developments.

Why is the INDIA bloc meeting being planned?

The INDIA bloc meeting on September 30 comes amid reports of objections within the Election Commission over certain decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise. 

According to the report, Opposition leaders have been discussing a coordinated response to their concerns over the Election Commission and the electoral-roll revision process. 

The issue is also expected to be discussed at the Congress Working Committee meeting scheduled for September 29, a day before the proposed INDIA bloc meeting.

Gyanesh Kumar removal demand in focus

The demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has become a major point of contention between the Opposition and the Election Commission.

The CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML)-Liberation have demanded Kumar’s removal and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise. Congress has also intensified its criticism of the CEC.

Opposition parties are also working on a fresh removal motion against Gyanesh Kumar. The September 30 meeting is expected to finalise the strategy for the motion, including the collection of signatures. According to the report, this would be the Opposition’s third such attempt. 

What is the SIR controversy?

The political dispute is linked to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, or SIR.

The controversy intensified following a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on several occasions concerning decisions and orders related to the SIR process.

The Election Commission has said that differing views and observations are part of normal deliberations in a multi-member constitutional body. The poll panel has also maintained that its orders have legal sanction and follow statutory procedures, while stating that the final decisions on the SIR were taken unanimously. 

TMC and Left parties coordinate over the issue

The developments have also brought the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M) together on the Election Commission issue, despite their political differences in West Bengal.

CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby proposed an immediate meeting to discuss a joint strategy. According to the report, Mamata Banerjee spoke with M A Baby and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, after which the leaders settled on September 30 for the meeting. 

What could be discussed at the September 30 meeting?

The proposed meeting is expected to focus on:

  • Concerns surrounding the Election Commission
  • The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls
  • Opposition demands concerning CEC Gyanesh Kumar
  • A possible fresh removal notice against the CEC
  • A coordinated response by INDIA bloc parties

The exact agenda and participation will depend on the discussions among the opposition parties before the proposed meeting.

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“Will die but won’t give up”: Sahil Wakode’s parents urge IIT students to continue fight 

Sahil Wakode’s parents have appealed to IIT Bombay students to continue their fight for justice amid the ongoing investigation into their son’s death.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 26, 2026

By

Sahil Wakode

The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode have appealed to students to continue raising their voices and fighting for justice following their son’s death.

Sahil Wakode, a second-year student at IIT Bombay, died in his hostel room on September 18. His death has led to student protests and an ongoing investigation by the Mumbai Crime Branch.

What Sahil Wakode’s parents have alleged

Sahil’s parents have alleged that their son faced caste-based discrimination and harassment at IIT Bombay before his death. They have sought action against those they hold responsible and have demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The family has also called for a CBI inquiry and has sought the arrest of officials named in the case. These remain allegations and are part of the ongoing investigation.

The Mumbai Crime Branch took over the probe after an FIR was registered following the complaint by Sahil’s parents.

IIT Bombay’s position

IIT Bombay has said that Sahil was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.

The institute has maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. It said the matter had been discussed with him by the instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.

The circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death are being investigated by the appropriate authorities.

Investigation continues

The case remains under investigation, with the Mumbai Crime Branch examining the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death and the allegations made by his family.

His parents have continued to demand justice and action against those they believe were responsible, while the investigation is expected to establish the facts surrounding the case.

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