The Karnataka Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of C.J. Roy, founder and chairman of the Confident Group, who died by suicide during an Income Tax department raid at his Bengaluru office last week.
Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara confirmed that the SIT has already commenced its investigation and will examine all circumstances surrounding the incident. He cautioned against drawing premature conclusions linking Roy’s death to alleged pressure from tax authorities.
“Everything will be ascertained once the probe is completed. Until then, it is too early to link the suicide to any specific reason,” Parameshwara said, adding that statements from family members and others connected to the case will be recorded.
The Home Minister was responding to questions regarding a letter sent by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking a detailed probe into the circumstances under which Roy died during the Income Tax raid. Parameshwara noted that the Income Tax department functions under the Union government and that any judicial or departmental inquiry would be decided by the Centre.
According to police, Roy allegedly shot himself in his office chamber while the raid was underway. Income Tax officials reportedly heard a gunshot and rushed him to a hospital, where he was declared dead. Preliminary investigations indicate that Roy had been facing severe financial stress and scrutiny over funding sources for large-scale projects.
The SIT will examine procedural aspects of the raid, financial records, and testimonies from family members, officials, and associates before submitting its final report.
