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<ul><li>71-year old P Rajagopal who founded Saravana Bhavan passed away just before the beginning of his life sentence.</li><li>The founder of Saravana Bhavan has been held guilty of murdering the husband of a woman he obsessed over.</li><li>Before his conviction, Rajagopal's journey from being a grocer in 1981 to the owner of franchise that spread across the world, was an inspiration for many entrepreneurs in India.</li></ul>P Rajagopal, the founder of the iconic Indian restaurant chain Saravana Bhavan has passed away just before the start of life sentence. He had been convicted for the kidnapping and murder and the 71-year old had to surrender at the country's Supreme Court on July 10. He reportedly arrived on a stretcher and had an oxygen mask on his face seeking a delay in his sentence. He was admitted to a hospital soon after until his death. The days of glory In the summer of 2015, while most restaurants in the city of Paris had their staff standing outside wooing people, Saravana Bhavan near the station in Saint-Denis had a waiting time of 45 minutes. Other Indian and Asian restaurants, including the one very next to it, was empty in the evening while people chose to wait for their seat inside Saravana Bhavan. There have been similar anecdotes across many cities from New Delhi to New York to Stockholm where the restaurant operates in. A New York Times feature in 2014 appropriately titled <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/magazine/masala-dosa-to-die-for.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">'Masala Dosa to die for'</a> captured the life of the son of an onion farmer, P Rajagopal, who went from being an inspiring entrepreneur who broke the shackles of caste and perception to build a restaurant chain, Saravana Bhavan, which went on to be a rage for vegetarian delicacies around the world, to a convict awaiting his life sentence now. Rajagopal started out as a grocer in 1981 when he decided to start a vegetarian restaurant in the south Indian city of Chennai. He was breaking into a domain that was at that time the fiefdom of upper castes. He decided to invest in a restaurant chain in an under-developed economy where barely anyone could afford to eat out regularly. He was at a disadvantage in every possible way -- social, financial, economic rationale-- but the grocer beat all odds to become a millionaire with outlets in over 33 cities outside India. Passion and obsession In the early 2000s, Rajagopal took a liking to the daughter of an employee. He obsessed over the woman who was already married and rejected his advances. Rajagopal has been held guilty of murdering her husband after threats, beatings and exorcisms failed. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2004 and later it was increased to life sentence after he was convicted of murder. The Supreme Court upheld the verdict earlier this year. He is meant to surrender by July 7 and spend the rest of his life behind bars. "Rajagopal is an example of how you can really come up in the society through hard work and thinking out of the box," GC Shekhar, a Chennai-based journalist, told the AFP. "What led to his downfall was his weakness for women and his belief that he was so powerful that he could get somebody murdered and get away with it." Other controversies Income Tax department raided the headquarters of the chain in Chennai in January 2019 following complaints of alleged tax evasion. "We believe these groups suppress large-scale income from their domestic operations. They have not disclosed income generated in their overseas branches over the last several years. We would be able to assess the quantum of tax evasion only after the raids," a senior officer <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/income-tax-raids-at-five-hotel-groups-including-saravana-bhavan-in-chennai-32-places-being-searched-1971942" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">reportedly</a> said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/anil-ambani-goes-from-yacht-to-almost-jail-to-bankruptcy/articleshow/69835915.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Anil Ambani may not be a billionaire anymore — here's how he lost it all in just a decade</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/An-entrepreneur-who-spent-5-years-interviewing-21-self-made-billionaires-asked-every-single-one-how-they-made-their-first-million-dollars-160heres-what-they-said/articleshow/69906217.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">An entrepreneur who spent 5 years interviewing 21 self-made billionaires asked every single one how they made their first million dollars - here's what they said</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-7-richest-retail-billionaires-in-the-world/articleshow/68276965.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">The 7 richest retail billionaires in the world</a>

Founder of the iconic Saravana Bhavan chain of restaurants passes away before his life sentence began

<ul><li>71-year old P Rajagopal who founded Saravana Bhavan is set to begin his life sentence on Sunday.</li><li>The founder of Saravana Bhavan has been held guilty of murdering the husband of a woman he obsessed over.</li><li>Before his conviction, Rajagopal's journey from being a grocer in 1981 to the owner of franchise that spread across the world, was an inspiration for many entrepreneurs in India.</li></ul>In the summer of 2015, while most restaurants in the city of Paris had their staff standing outside wooing people, Saravana Bhavan near the station in Saint-Denis had a waiting time of 45 minutes. Other Indian and Asian restaurants, including the one very next to it, was empty in the evening while people chose to wait for their seat inside Saravana Bhavan. There have been similar anecdotes across many cities from New Delhi to New York to Stockholm where the restaurant operates in. A New York Times feature in 2014 appropriately titled <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/magazine/masala-dosa-to-die-for.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">'Masala Dosa to die for'</a> captured the life of the son of an onion farmer, P Rajagopal, who went from being an inspiring entrepreneur who broke the shackles of caste and perception to build a restaurant chain, Saravana Bhavan, which went on to be a rage for vegetarian delicacies around the world, to a convict awaiting his life sentence now. The 71-year old Rajagopal started out as a grocer in 1981 when he decided to start a vegetarian restaurant in the south Indian city of Chennai. He was breaking into a domain that was at that time the fiefdom of upper castes. He decided to invest in a restaurant chain in an under-developed economy where barely anyone could afford to eat out regularly. He was at a disadvantage in every possible way -- social, financial, economic rationale-- but the grocer beat all odds to become a millionaire with outlets in over 33 cities outside India. Passion and obsession In the early 2000s, Rajagopal took a liking to the daughter of an employee. He obsessed over the woman who was already married and rejected his advances. Rajagopal has been held guilty of murdering her husband after threats, beatings and exorcisms failed. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2004 and later it was increased to life sentence after he was convicted of murder. The Supreme Court upheld the verdict earlier this year. He is meant to surrender by July 7 and spend the rest of his life behind bars. "Rajagopal is an example of how you can really come up in the society through hard work and thinking out of the box," GC Shekhar, a Chennai-based journalist, told the AFP. "What led to his downfall was his weakness for women and his belief that he was so powerful that he could get somebody murdered and get away with it." Other controversies Income Tax department raided the headquarters of the chain in Chennai in January 2019 following complaints of alleged tax evasion. "We believe these groups suppress large-scale income from their domestic operations. They have not disclosed income generated in their overseas branches over the last several years. We would be able to assess the quantum of tax evasion only after the raids," a senior officer <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/income-tax-raids-at-five-hotel-groups-including-saravana-bhavan-in-chennai-32-places-being-searched-1971942" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">reportedly</a> said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/anil-ambani-goes-from-yacht-to-almost-jail-to-bankruptcy/articleshow/69835915.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Anil Ambani may not be a billionaire anymore — here's how he lost it all in just a decade</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/An-entrepreneur-who-spent-5-years-interviewing-21-self-made-billionaires-asked-every-single-one-how-they-made-their-first-million-dollars-160heres-what-they-said/articleshow/69906217.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">An entrepreneur who spent 5 years interviewing 21 self-made billionaires asked every single one how they made their first million dollars - here's what they said</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-7-richest-retail-billionaires-in-the-world/articleshow/68276965.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">The 7 richest retail billionaires in the world</a>

The millionaire founder of Saravana Bhavan, an iconic Indian restaurant chain spread around the world, is set to begin his life sentence for murder

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the life imprisonment of P. Rajagopal, the owner of south Indian hotel chain <keyword id="188781" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saravana-Bhavan">Saravana Bhavan</keyword>, for murdering an employee in October 2001 so as to marry his wife. A bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana gave Rajagopal time till July 7 to surrender. The ruling comes on the Madras High Court order upholding his life imprisonment. The High Court had enhanced the 10-year sentence given by a trial court. When contacted, Rajagopal's son P.R. Shivakumar told IANS: "I just got an SMS about the verdict. I have to get more details." The hugely popular hotel chain has outlets within and outside India and is now managed by Shivakumar. The South Indian restaurant chain, Saravana Bhavan has 33 outposts in India and 47 around the world. <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._Rajagopal_%28businessman%29">P. Rajagopal</a>, was sentenced to life in prison in India in 2009 on charges of murdering his employee, Prince Shantakumar, so as to marry his wife. However, India's highest court had granted him a bail in May 2009, when the lawyer of the accused claimed that Rajagopal needed to go through medical treatment for paralysis, reported One India News. He served just 11 months of that sentence. With IANS

Owner Of A Wildly Popular Restaurant Chain Gets Life Term In Murder Case

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<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7c/PrRsPRs.jpg/741px-PrRsPRs.jpg">Wikipedia Commons</a>Rajagopal with his sons</div></div>A 66-year-old man behind a hugely popular vegetarian restaurant chain was convicted of murder but continues to expand his global franchise and enjoy his freedom, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/magazine/masala-dosa-to-die-for.html?ref=magazine&amp;_r=0">according to a riveting New York Times Magazine article</a>.
The South Indian restaurant chain Saravana Bhavan has 33 outposts in India and 47 around the world, including one on the East Side of Manhattan <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/saravana-bhavan-new-york-2">that has gotten a ton of praise on Yelp</a>.
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._Rajagopal_%28businessman%29">P. Rajagopal</a>, who owns Saravana, was sentenced to life in prison in India in 2009 for orchestrating the murder of the husband of a woman he wanted to marry.
However, he served just 11 months of that sentence. Rajagopal also continues to dominate the globe with his light South Indian fare, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/magazine/masala-dosa-to-die-for.html?ref=magazine&amp;_r=0">Rollo Romig writes in The New York Times Magazine</a>.
India's highest court granted bail to Rajagopal in May 2009, after his lawyer told the court he had paralysis and needed medical treatment, <a href="http://news.oneindia.in/2009/05/14/sc-grants-bail-to-saravana-bhavan-owner-rajagopal.html">One India News reported</a>. Rajagopal will be out on bail until "the disposal of the criminal appeal in view of his medical condition," according to One India News. In reality, Romig writes for The New York Times, nobody expects him to go back to prison anytime soon.
"It's amazing how he managed it," Sriram V., a local historian, told The New York Times. "I mean, our legal system is not that bad."
The murder Rajagopal was charged with - and convicted of - is both gruesome and bizarre. Reportedly<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Astrologers-word-turned-him-into-a-killer/articleshow/4289478.cms"> on the advice of an astrologer</a>, Rajagopal became determined to wed the daughter of one of his assistant managers, a young woman named Jeevajothi. She wasn't interested in the older restaurant mogul, though. Instead, she fell in love with and married her brother's math tutor, a man referred <a href="http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/saravana-bhavan-boss-gets-life-for-killing-staffer/436637/">to in the press as Prince Shantakumar</a>. (It's not clear whether Prince was his first name or some kind of royal designation.)
Rajagopal didn't let that marriage stop his pursuit of Jeevajothi, though.
In October 2001, Shantakumar's strangled body was found in the forest in the hills of India, <a href="http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/saravana-bhavan-boss-gets-life-for-killing-staffer/436637/2">The Indian Express reported</a>. His official cause of death was "asphyxia due to throttling," according to The Times. Prosecutors say he was killed by one of Rajagopal's henchman.
In 2004, a local court convicted him of culpable murder and sentenced him to 10 years in prison, but his sentence was suspended eight months into his term. Five years later, India's Supreme Court upgraded the conviction to murder and gave him life in prison. Then he got bail again a few months later.
While The Times of India has called him <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Astrologers-word-turned-him-into-a-killer/articleshow/4289478.cms">a "notorious criminal</a>," it doesn't seem like Rajagopal's murder conviction hurt his business. That may be because the food - which has been <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/saravana-bhavan-new-york-2">called "splendid" and "the best South Indian restaurant in Manhattan" </a>- is really, really good.
One loyalist told The Times, "Some of my friends used to say, How can you go and eat in his restaurant? You're actually fattening the wallet of a murderer. And I used to tell them, Look, I don't know with whom I do business in my day-to-day activity, whether he's a drunk or beats his wife. I have no idea, but I do business. So as long as he's giving me good-quality food, I go there."
We reached out to Saravana Bhavan to give it a chance to comment and will update this post if we hear back. In an interview with The New York Times, Rajagopal denied culpability for the murder and said he was "punished for someone else's mistake."

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Founder of the iconic Saravana Bhavan chain of restaurants passes away before his life sentence began

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The millionaire founder of Saravana Bhavan, an iconic Indian restaurant chain spread around the world, is set to begin his life sentence for murder

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Owner Of A Wildly Popular Restaurant Chain Gets Life Term In Murder Case

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