Confident Group founder and chairman CJ Roy was found dead at his residence in central Bengaluru on Friday while Income Tax officials were conducting searches linked to his company, police said. Officials said the case is initially being treated as a suicide, though the investigation is ongoing.
An investigation is underway at the site where Confident Group chairman CJ Roy shot himself dead in Bengaluru on Friday. (ANI video grab, Instagram)As reported by HT beforeAccording to police officials familiar with the sequence of events, Roy was in his first floor office chamber when the incident took place. He was being interrogated by income tax officials as part of investigations linked to the firm.
He was shot after interrogationThe search was on for three days and Roy was interrogated in his office between 12 noon and 1 am, said an official, who did not want to be named.
“By 3.15 pm, the interrogation was over. He said he would call his family and come back. He then went to another room and shot himself,” the officer said.
The officials of the premises said that they immediately entered the room after hearing the sound of gunshots. The 57-year-old, who sustained bullet injuries in his Langford Town bungalow, was rushed to a private hospital and later shifted to Narayana Hospital in HSR Layout, where he was declared brought dead, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Akshay Haque.
Police said the pistol suspected to have been used in the shooting has been seized and CCTV footage from the property is being reviewed.
Forensic team at the sceneBengaluru Police Commissioner Seeman Kumar Singh later visited the spot and confirmed that a case had been registered at the Ashok Nagar police station based on a complaint filed by an executive of Roy’s company.
“Initially, it seems industrialist CJ Roy shot himself. The body has been shifted to Narayana Hospital in HSR Layout. SOCO (Scene of Crime Officer) team, ballistic experts and other officials have reached the spot and are investigating,” he said.
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According to the police, the incident took place at 3.15 pm. Forensic teams and ballistics experts are working to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The induction angle has not yet been ruled outPolice said it was too early to definitively classify the case and that charges would depend on the outcome of the investigation.
“Charges will be framed based on the complaint. Ballistics experts will give details about the weapon,” Singh said, when asked if the case would be a suicide probe or if charges of incitement could be considered.
On the presence of tax officials during the shooting, he added: “The IT team has come from Kerala. At present, limited details are available. Our immediate focus is on the crime and collecting all relevant information.”
According to officials, the tax officials present for the search were allowed to leave after initial questioning. Officials at the income tax office in Kochi did not respond to calls seeking comment.
Income Tax InquiryPolice said the Income Tax department is conducting coordinated searches at several locations linked to the Confident Group, a major developer of the luxury housing segment in Bengaluru and Kerala.
The company was involved in tax disputes and appeals before the Karnataka High Court and the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, officials said.
Commissioner Singh confirmed that the interrogation was going on for three days. He said, Roy has been interrogated today. What exactly happened during the interrogation will be investigated.
Film industry connectionsRoy, originally from Kochi, was also associated with the Malayalam film industry. He has produced films including the 2012 Mohanlal-starrer Casanova.
The Confident Group has also acted as the title sponsor for several seasons of the television reality show Bigg Boss Malayalam hosted by Mohanlal.
With inputs from Vishnu Varma
