[5] Soon after, Johnson took over the Asian subsidiaries of Huntley & Palmer, the British biscuit manufacturing company which controlled Britannia Industries, India's largest bakery and biscuit-making concern, and handed its entire area of operation in Asia to Pillai.
Even though he claimed to own Britannia Industries, he actually controlled only 3 per cent of its equity; the rest of his businesses were a complex interwoven and interdependent financial mesh.
In what The Economic Times referred to as one of India's most dramatic corporate sagas,[7] Pillai ceded control to Wadia and Danone after a bitter boardroom struggle.
[10] The medical officer who conducted the autopsy, deposed before the CMM, and said that Pillai had died of asphyxia caused by blocking of blood in the respiratory system.
In May 2011, the Delhi High Court noted that there was lack of communication between jail authorities and the magistrate who refused to give Pillai specialist treatment.
The Court held the State liable for lapses which led to Pillai's death, and awarded a token compensation of ₹1 million to his wife and children.
[13] In March 2012, Nina Pillai filed a petition again alleging that the Court's directions on jail reforms and handling of ailing prisoners, given on her earlier plea, were never implemented.
[3][4] Rajmohan established the Rajan Pillai Foundation in memory of his brother, to promote excellence in arts, sports, social sciences, and medicine, serving the cause of humanity.
The Rajan Pillai Foundation institutes and presents awards to accomplished individuals in international relations, social welfare services and industry development.