Kerala CM writes to FM Sitharaman seeking judicial probe into 'unnatural death' of industrialist CJ Roy
CJ Roy death case: Industrialist CJ Roy reportedly shot himself at his office in Bengaluru on January 30 during two-three days of IT raids involving Karnataka and Kerala teams. The dramatic events occurred within the jurisdiction of the Ashok Nagar police station.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, demanding a judicial inquiry into the "unnatural death" of industrialist CJ Roy, who died by suicide during an Income Tax search at his residence in Bengaluru on January 30.
In a strongly worded letter, Vijayan described the incident as a "blot on the country’s tax administration" and flagged serious concerns over alleged procedural lapses during the search operation. He questioned how Roy was able to access a loaded firearm while officials were present, calling it a grave failure of protocol.
Kerala CM flags harassment by Income Tax officials
The Chief Minister also referred to allegations of harassment by Income Tax officials made by Roy's family, citing statements from the industrialist's brother. Emphasising the need for accountability, Vijayan said only an independent judicial inquiry headed by a former constitutional court judge could uncover the full facts and help prevent similar incidents in the future.
While acknowledging that the Karnataka Police are conducting an investigation, he stressed that a broader probe is necessary to examine administrative procedures, due diligence, and the conduct of officials involved. Vijayan urged the Centre to order the judicial inquiry without delay and ensure the submission of a time-bound report.
Bengaluru Police constituted SIT to probe case
Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, IPS, has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of the Chairman of the Confident Group.
The SIT is led by Joint Commissioner of Police, West Zone, C Vamshi Krishna, IPS, while Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Division, Lokesh Jagalasar, IPS, will serve as the Investigating Officer. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Division, Akshay Hake, IPS, along with senior officers from various divisions and special units, will also be part of the team. The SIT has been authorised to bring in additional officers and resources as required for the investigation.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's office, in a statement on Friday, said the incident allegedly occurred after Roy asked for a break during questioning by the Income Tax department.
"When (IT) they were asking him many questions, he is said to have asked for five minutes, went inside and did this (shot himself)," the statement said.
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