Chennai: India’s “dosa king”, P. Rajagopal, the founder of a global restaurant chain Saravana Bhavan, has died days after losing a last-ditch attempt to avoid a life sentence for murder.
Rajagopal, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the 2001 murder of Prince Santhakumar, died in a private hospital here on Thursday morning, doctors and police said. He was 72.
On July 9, Rajagopal surrendered before a sessions court in Chennai to serve a life sentence as the Supreme Court had rejected his plea seeking more time to surrender.
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Rajagopal, who was brought to the premises of the trial court in an ambulance, was sent to Stanley Medical College Hospital. “He came to Stanley Medical College Hospital in a very critical condition. He was admitted to the intensive care unit,” said a senior doctor who attended on him. His condition continued to remain critical. On Tuesday, the Madras high court permitted to admit him to a private hospital where died.
