SC upholds life sentence for Saravana Bhavan owner P Rajagopal for 2001 murder

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the Madras High Court’s order of life term to Saravana Bhavan owner P Rajagopal for the abduction and murder of one of his employees in 2001.

P Rajagopal is currently out on bail, which was granted to him by the Supreme Court in 2009, in one of the most high-profile criminal cases. The top court has asked the Saravana Bhavan owner to surrender by July 7 in the murder case of Prince Santhakumar.

Five others were also sentenced in the Prince Santhakumar murder case.

Santhakumar, the husband of Jeevajyothi whom P Rajagopal wanted to marry, was murdered by the hotel owner’s henchmen after abducting him from his residence in Vellacherry in Chennai in October 2001, according to the prosecution.

Santhakumar’s body was later found dumped in the Kodai hills forest on October 31 that year.

They were convicted by the sessions court for murder and had been sentenced to ten years imprisonment. The Madras High Court had enhanced the sentence to life imprisonment leading to the appeal in the Supreme Court by the convicts.

First Published: Mar 29, 2019 11:27 IST