Family Alleges Pressure During IT Raid; Funeral to Be Held Tomorrow
Bengaluru: In the wake of the shocking suicide of Confident Group Chairman C.J. Roy during an Income Tax raid, authorities have constituted a special investigation team to probe the circumstances surrounding his death. The high-level team includes a Joint Commissioner and two Superintendents of Police (SPs). Roy’s funeral is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru tomorrow.
As the investigation gathers pace, preliminary findings from the post-mortem examination have come to light. Medical sources revealed that Roy shot himself on the left side of the chest. The bullet reportedly entered through the fifth rib, pierced the heart and lungs, and exited through the back, causing instantaneous death.
Roy’s family has alleged that intense pressure from Income Tax officials during the raid drove him to take the extreme step. However, the Income Tax Department has firmly denied these allegations, stating that no form of coercion was used. Officials said they would fully cooperate with any investigation and maintained that the raid and related procedures were carried out strictly in accordance with the law. They also claimed that Roy had given a written statement asserting that no pressure had been exerted on him. His statement was recorded on Thursday in the presence of another witness, and officials clarified that he was neither questioned nor met on the day of the incident.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has recorded statements from Roy’s family members at a hotel in Halasuru, Bengaluru. Investigators have also taken Roy’s personal diary into custody as part of the probe.
The tragic incident occurred yesterday around 3:15 pm at the Confident Group’s headquarters in Langford Town, Bengaluru, during a raid conducted by an eight-member Income Tax team from Kochi. The raid followed a notice issued to Roy, after which he was called back from Dubai.
Roy’s brother and the family’s legal advisor, Prakash, have levelled serious allegations against the Income Tax officials, claiming that Roy was detained in his office and subjected to mental pressure. According to them, Roy had gone into his cabin to retrieve documents demanded by the officials and was later found dead.
As investigations continue amid conflicting claims, the case has sent shockwaves through business circles and raised serious questions about the conduct of enforcement actions and the pressures faced by corporate leaders.
