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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = P. Rajagopal
| image = P. Rajagopal.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Rajagopal with his sons in 2010
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1947|08|05|df=yes}}<ref name="NYTobit"/>
| parents =
| birth_place = Punnaiyadi, [[Tuticorin District]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| death_place = [[Chennai]], India
| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|07|18|1947|08|05|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.timesofindia.com/city/chennai/saravana-bhavan-founder-p-rajagopal-dies-in-chennai/amp_articleshow/70272624.cms|title=Saravana Bhavan founder P Rajagopal dies in Chennai|publisher=Times of India|access-date=2020-01-17}}</ref>
| occupation = Founder of [[Saravana Bhavan]]
| networth =
| spouse =
| children = 2 sons<ref>{{cite news|title=Saravana Bhavan owner sentenced to life|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article48108.ece|work=express buzz |date=20 March 2009}}</ref>
}}
'''P. Rajagopal''' (5 August 1947 – 18 July 2019) was the founder of the [[Saravana Bhavan]] chain of restaurants based in [[Chennai]], India. Born in rural [[Tamil Nadu]] into a farming family, and with little education, Rajagopal built a global restaurant chain. In later life, he was convicted for a 2001 murder, and began serving a life sentence in July 2019. Several days after his imprisonment, he had a heart attack and died.<ref name="death1"/>

==Career==
Rajagopal was born in Punnaiyadi, a tiny village in [[Tuticorin District]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India.<ref name="NYTobit"/> His father was an onion seller; his mother was a homemaker.<ref name="NYTobit"/> In 1973, a few years after he came to [[Madras]], he started a general provisions store in [[K K Nagar]]. In 1981, he opened his first restaurant, [[Saravana Bhavan]], in [[Chennai|Madras]].<ref name="NYTobit"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Hotel Saravana Bhavan|url=http://www.chennaibest.com/cityresources/Food_and_Dining/profiles01.asp |work=Chennaibest.com}}</ref> By 2019, his company had expanded to 111 restaurants in 22 countries, employing about 5,000 people.<ref name="NYTobit">{{cite news |last1=Tsang |first1=Amie |title=P. Rajagopal, Restaurant Mogul Convicted of Murder, Dies at 71 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/obituaries/rajagopal-saravana-bhavan-dead.html |access-date=1 August 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=25 July 2019}}</ref> He built a temple in his village called Punnai Sri Srinivasaperumal Kovil.

==Crime==
On the advice of an astrologer, he obsessively tried to take Jeevajothi, the daughter of one of his employees, as his third wife, but she was already married and rejected him. He orchestrated multiple threats, beatings, and exorcism against her and her family. In 2001, after one attempted murder, he successfully orchestrated the murder of her husband Santhakumar. He was sentenced to life for the murder.<ref name="thenewsminute.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/saravana-bhavan-founder-p-rajagopal-sentenced-life-murder-sc-upholds-conviction-99129|title=Saravana Bhavan founder P Rajagopal sentenced to life for murder, SC upholds conviction|website=The News Minute|access-date=2019-07-03}}</ref><ref name="indianexpress.com">{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sc-upholds-life-imprisonment-of-saravana-bhavan-owner-p-rajagopal-5648204/|title=SC upholds life term of Saravana Bhavan owner for employee's murder|date=29 March 2019|website=indianexpress.com|access-date=8 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/the-spectacular-fall-of-indias-dosa-king-744506.html|title=The spectacular fall of India's 'dosa king'|date=2019-07-03|website=Deccan Herald|language=en|access-date=2019-07-03}}</ref>

== Life sentence for murder==
In 2009, the brand value of the restaurant chain plunged after the founder Rajagopal was sentenced to life imprisonment by the [[Madras High Court]] after being convicted of the murder of employee Prince Santhakumar in 2001 and sexual harassment of Santhakumar's wife Jeevajothi.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/obituaries/rajagopal-saravana-bhavan-dead.html|title=P. Rajagopal, Restaurant Mogul Convicted of Murder, Dies at 71|last=Tsang|first=Amie|date=2019-07-25|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-08-29|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Jeevajothi was the daughter of one of his assistant managers. Rajagopal wanted to marry Jeevajothi, but she was already married to Santhakumar. Santhakumar was kidnapped and his body was found strangled a few days later in a resort town in the [[Western Ghats]] mountain range.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.topnews.in/saravana-bhavan-founder-gets-life-term-murder-case-2141802|title=Saravana Bhavan founder gets life term in murder case - TopNews|website=www.topnews.in|access-date=8 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Saravana Bhavan founder gets life for murder|url=http://www.hindu.com/holnus/004200903191521.htm |work=The Hindu|date=19 March 2009}}</ref> Rajagopal was freed on bail for medical reasons while his case was appealed to the Indian Supreme Court. However, a judgement was passed enhancing his prison term to a life sentence, upholding a lower court's conviction.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite web|last=Romig|first=Rollo|title=Masala Dosa to Die For|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/magazine/masala-dosa-to-die-for.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=MG_MDT_20140507&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1388552400000&bicmet=1420088400000&_r=1|work=New York Times|access-date=7 May 2014}}</ref>

===Supreme Court upholding===
On 29 March 2019, the [[Supreme Court of India]] upheld Rajagopal's murder conviction and life imprisonment.<ref name="thenewsminute.com"/> As per the order of the Supreme Court, he would have to surrender to the authorities by 7 July 2019 and would have to spend the rest of his days in prison.<ref name="indianexpress.com"/> Rajagopal surrendered to the authorities on 9 July 2019. Although his counsel pleaded for an extension of bail on medical grounds, the plea was rejected by the Supreme Court, which ordered the tycoon to "surrender immediately". Rajagopal also sought exemption from surrendering and pleaded that his hospitalisation time be treated as time spent behind bars. The court rejected this.

==Death==
After surrendering on 9 July 2019 to serve his life sentence, Rajagopal had a heart attack on 13 July 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/saravana-bhavan-founder-p-rajagopal-critical-on-ventilator-1569941-2019-07-16 | title=Saravana Bhavan founder P Rajagopal critical, on ventilator | journal=India Today | first=Lokpria | last=Vasudevan | date=16 July 2019 | access-date=18 July 2019}}</ref> The Madras High Court granted permission to transfer him from the prison ward of [[Stanley Medical College|Stanley Medical College Hospital]] to Vijaya Hospital in Chennai, where he died on the morning of 18 July 2019.<ref name="death1">{{cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/saravana-bhawan-founder-p-rajagopal-passes-away-after-heart-attack-in-chennai/articleshow/70272161.cms|title=Saravana Bhawan founder P Rajagopal passes away after heart attack in Chennai|journal=The Economic Times|date=18 July 2019|access-date=18 July 2019}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajagopal, P.}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Thoothukudi district]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Restaurant founders]]

P. Rajagopal (businessman) - Revision history

Joseph678: minor updated lead for accuracy further and fixed typos

UpdateBot: robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

2409:4073:207:4376:D09D:FDB8:373C:8840: /* Crime */