RAJAGOPAL

From a string of low-paying jobs, which included being a cleaner in a hotel and a sales boy at a grocery shop, Saravanaa Bhavan's Rajagopal rose to own one of the most admired chains of restaurants serving authentic South Indian cuisine. It was sheer dint of hard work and a generous dose of good fortune that opened doors for him. From his native village in Tirunelveli district, Rajagopal came to Chennai as a young boy to make a living. After some years of sundry jobs, Rajagopal’s first business venture was a grocery shop in Chennai opened in partnership with his brother-in-law. When he heard shop workers complaining about the lack of authentic food in the area, he was quick to spot a business opportunity even in a climate where many Udupi restaurants were shutting down because of poor business.

The jump into the business was also aided by an astrologer’s prediction that Rajagopal’s fortune lay in the hotel industry. To a man who nursed a deep belief in astrology and Lord Murugan, the signs were a godsend. 

In 1981, he opened his first restaurant in K.K.Nagar, Chennai offering high quality, tasty and affordable food to the middle and upper middle class. In the first six months the restaurant did not break even but by the end of the year it had achieved iconic status in Chennai. Many more outlets followed and the business expanded abroad.

Rajagopal became a pioneer in the industry offering handsome salaries, provident funds, medical and casual leave, proper working hours, incentives, financial assistance for the education of staff's children and much more. He also built an extension of the popular Vadapalani Murugan temple in Chennai and penned an autobiography  titled 'I Desired Victory'.

In 2000, the fairy tale began to sour when he developed a liking for 20-year-old Jeeva Jyothi,   daughter of his assistant manager. He was already married twice, first time to Valli (with whom he has two sons) and then to Krithika, an  ex-wife of one of his employees. Rajagopal’s obsession with Jyothi grew as an astrologer told him she was the key to future fortune. But Jyothi, on her part, was madly in love with Prince Santhakumar, another worker at Rajagopal’s hotel, and spurned Rajagopal's advances. She eventually went ahead and married Santhakumar much to the Saravanaa Bhavan owner's chagrin.

The couple started a travel agency and Jyothi's mother approached Rajagopal for help with a bank loan. That gave him the excuse to begin visiting Jyothi’s home.

At every available opportunity, Rajagopal started pestering her to divorce Santhakumar and marry him. When she flatly refused, an infuriated Rajagopal hatched a conspiracy to eliminate her husband.

In 2004, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail. After a few months he was released on bail and once again began pestering Jyothi to marry him.

He offered to pay her six lakh rupees and gift her jewellery. But Jyothi wasn't interested in the largesse. She lodged a police complaint for harassment and Rajagopal was arrested.

The Madras High Court sentenced him to life under IPC 302 for kidnapping and murdering Santhakumar.

Now out on bail at the age of 61, Rajagopal is building a temple called Vanathirupathi at his native village .