The Supreme Court on Monday refused to extend the time to Saravana Bhavan owner P Rajagopal to surrender for serving a life term in a murder case.

Rajagopal had approached the apex court seeking a direction for more time to surrender in a 2001 murder case.

Earlier, the apex court on March 29 had upheld Madras High Court order sentencing Rajagopal for life imprisonment for killing Santhakumar his employee. It had asked Rajagopal who was out on bail since 2009 to surrender by July 9.

In October 2001, Santhakumar was abducted and murdered by the henchmen and his body was found in the hill station of Kodaikanal. Three years later, in 2004, the hotelier was found guilty by a sessions court and sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and was upheld by the Madras HC. He later got bail from the SC.

—India Legal Bureau