Rajan Pillai

“For us Rajan Pillai is not a forgotten story. We are still fighting a case for justice and compensation in the Delhi High court. Since the matter is sub-judice, my lawyers have advised me not to speak on this issue. Hope you will understand,” said Nina Pillai, the widow of “biscuit baron” Rajan Pillai.

On July 7, 1995, Britannia Group chairman Rajan Pillai, popularly known as the biscuit baron, was rushed to the Capital's Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital by the Tihar jail authorities as he needed urgent medical help for liver cirrhosis. Pillai had been in police custody as his extradition hearing was on for allegations of fraud of millions of dollars in Singapore.

Pillai was survived by his wife and two sons. Nina Pillai runs art galleries in Delhi and London. Kuldip Nayyar, a renowned journalist who had demanded an inquiry into Pillai's death, said, “I am told some people in the jail had demanded huge sums to take Pillai to hospital. He was denied timely medical help." 

The Justice Leila Seth Commission went into the circumstances that led to Pillai's death. It concluded  that medical care in jails should be improved. Today the case stands closed and the case for enhancement of compensation is in the court.