P. Rajagopal (businessman)

P.Rajagopal

Rajagopal with his sons
Born 1947
Punnaiyadi, Tuticorin District, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation Founder of Saravana Bhavan
Net worth $200 million
Children P. R. Shivakumar and R. Saravanan, sons[1]

P.Rajagopal (Tamil: பி.ராஜகோபால்) is the founder of Saravana Bhavan chain of restaurants. He is the son of a farmer who plied onion wholesale trade. He was born in a small village called Punnaiyadi, Tuticorin District, in 1947. In 1973, a few years after he came to Chennai, he started a general provisions store in K K Nagar. In 1981, he started a small hotel in K K Nagar. [2]

Life sentence

In November 2008, the founder's son P. Shiva Kumar was arrested on a charge of forging documents to smuggle people into the US. In 2009, the brand value of the restaurant chain plunged after the founder Rajagopal was sentenced to life by Madras High Court after being convicted of murder of an employee Prince Shantakumar in 2001 and sexual harassment of his wife Jeevajothi.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ "Saravana Bhavan owner sentenced to life". express buzz. 20 March 2009. http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Saravana+Bhavan+owner+sentenced+to+life&artid=kURkUab6zWc=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&SectionName=rSY%7C6QYp3kQ=&SEO=Saravana%20Bhavan,%20Rajagopal. 
  2. ^ "Hotel Saravana Bhavan". Chennaibest.com. http://www.chennaibest.com/cityresources/Food_and_Dining/profiles01.asp. 
  3. ^ Founder convicted of murder and sexual harassment
  4. ^ "Saravana Bhavan founder gets life for murder". The Hindu. 19 March 2009. http://www.hindu.com/holnus/004200903191521.htm.