Politics rages over Confident Group chief CJ Roy’s suicide: Karnataka oppn alleges internal lapses; Kerala CM seeks judicial probe, writes to Nirmala Seetharaman | Bengaluru News

BENGALURU: Political tempers flared on Sunday over alleged suicide of Confident Group chairman C J Roy during Income Tax raid at his Bengaluru office on January 30, with the Karnataka opposition alleging serious internal lapses in the operation and Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking a judicial probe into the incident. Vijayan has written to union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, terming Roy’s death “a blot on the tax administration of the country” and flagging what he described as grave procedural failures during the search conducted on January 30. He urged the Centre to order a judicial inquiry through a Commission of Inquiry headed by a former constitutional court judge. The Kerala CM cited allegations by Roy’s brother that the real estate tycoon had been under extreme stress due to repeated Income Tax scrutiny despite cooperating fully. While underscoring the need to curb tax evasion, Vijayan said no enforcement action could justify the loss of a human life in a civilised democracy. He also questioned how Roy could access a loaded firearm and shoot himself when the premises were supposedly under the control of tax officials during the search. Opposition parties in Karnataka echoed similar concerns, accusing the authorities of internal lapses and demanding accountability from both the Income Tax department and the state government. Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing Roy’s death has recorded statements from Income Tax officials who were present at his Langford Town office on the day of the incident. Investigators said the officials maintained that they were on the premises only for final scrutiny of documents seized earlier and had not questioned Roy directly. “They required Roy’s signature and those of some staff members. Their role was limited to verification of records,” an officer said, adding that the officials neither seized Roy’s mobile phone or briefcase nor knew he was carrying a licensed pistol. Police, however, said it was too early to conclusively establish whether Roy had any interaction with the officials. “What is clear is that he was not prevented from carrying out routine activities,” an investigator said. The SIT described the probe as being at a preliminary stage, with crime scene reconstruction yet to be carried out. This exercise will be conducted in the presence of complainant T A Joseph, founding director and managing director of Confident Group. Statements of several employees were recorded on Sunday. Summons have been issued to Joseph, Roy’s brother C J Babu and other associates, though questioning was postponed after the family delayed taking custody of the body following the post-mortem. Investigators said there were inconsistencies in Joseph’s complaint, particularly regarding the timeline of events. Staff members told police Roy entered his chamber around 2 pm, while Joseph mentioned 3 pm in his statement. There are also unanswered questions about Roy’s interactions that day, whether he spoke to his mother before the incident, the timing of the door being forced open, and why no one reported hearing a gunshot. Joseph told police he attempted to enter the chamber about 10 minutes after being asked to step out but was stopped by security guards acting on instructions. He returned after another 10 minutes and forced the door open when there was no response. “We are told no one heard the gunshot. The chamber has features that reduce noise, though it is not fully soundproof,” an officer said. Roy, 57, suffered fatal bullet injuries from his licensed firearm at his office near Richmond Circle. He was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Income Tax sources said searches on his premises had been underway for nearly two months prior to the incident.