CHENNAI: Barring two convicts including hotelier
P Rajagopal
, nine people whose conviction in the 2001
murder of Prince Santhakumar were upheld by the Supreme Court surrendered before a trial court in the city on Monday.
Rajagopal, 71, founder of the South Indian vegetarian restaurant chain Hotel
Saravana Bhavan
, was supposed to surrender before the authorities by Sunday.
However, the septuagenarian cited health ailments and got himself admitted to a hospital on July 4 and has moved the apex court seeking to extend the deadline to surrender. Another convict in the case, 59-year-old Janarthanan, too, is under treatment at the same hospital.
On March 29, the apex court bench led by Justice N V Ramana upheld the conviction and life sentence of Rajagopal for hiring henchmen and murdering Prince 18 years ago in a bid to marry his wife, Jeevajothi, reportedly on the suggestions of an astrologer.
Jeevajyothi was the daughter of a staff in one of Rajagopal’s restaurants.
Santhakumar’s body was found in Kodaikkanal forests, a few days after the couple filed a complaint against Rajagopal for threatening them.
It was found that Santhakumar died due to strangulation. While a trial court sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment in 2004, the Madras high court sentenced him to life in 2009, enhancing the punishment awarded by the trial court.
Nine other convicts in the case — Y Daniel, Zakir Hussain, C Tamil Selvan, A Muruganandam, M Karmegam, Kasi Viswanathan, N Pattirajan, V S Sethu and Balu surrendered before the IV additional sessions court in Chennai.
Judge G Thanendran directed all the convicts to be lodged in the Puzhal prison after recording their statements.
According to the prosecution, only five people in the case have been convicted for life imprisonment and the remaining were all sentenced for three years rigorous imprisonment on abduction charges.
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