Confident Group Chairman CJ Roy allegedly shoots himself to death in Bengaluru residence during IT raids

Confident Group founder and chairman, 57-year-old 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.

Officers said the case is being treated prima facie as a suicide, though investigations are going on.

About the death of Confident Group founder

As reported by HT earlier, Roy was in his first-floor office chamber when the incident occurred, according to police officers familiar with the incident.

Income-Tax officials had been probing him as part of searches connected to the firm.

One officer, who did not wish to be named, said the searches were ongoing for three days, and Roy was questioned in his office between 12 pm and 1 pm.

“By 3.15pm, the questioning was over. He said he would make a call to his family and come back. He then went into another room and shot himself,” the officer said.

Officials at the premises said they heard a gunshot and immediately entered the room and found that Roy sustained bullet injuries.

He was taken to a private hospital from his  Langford Town bungalow and later shifted to Narayana Hospital in HSR Layout, where he was declared dead, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Akshay Hakay.

Police said the pistol suspected to have been used in the shooting has been seized, and CCTV footage from the property is being reviewed.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh visited the scene later in the day and confirmed that a case had been registered at Ashok Nagar police station based on a complaint filed by an executive from Roy’s company.

“Prima facie, it appears that industrialist CJ Roy has shot himself. The body has been shifted to Narayana Hospital in HSR Layout. The SOCO (Scene of Crime Officer) team, ballistic experts, and other officials have arrived at the scene and are investigating,” he said.

Police said the incident occurred around 3:15 p.m. Forensic teams and ballistic experts are working to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the firing.

“Charges will be framed based on the complaint. Ballistic experts will ascertain details regarding the weapon,” Singh said.

On the presence of tax officials at the time of the shooting, he added: “The I-T team arrived from Kerala. At present, limited details are available. Our immediate focus is on the crime and gathering all relevant information.”

According to the officers, tax officials who were present during the searches were later allowed to leave after undergoing preliminary questioning. Officials from the Income Tax office in Kochi did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Police said the Income-Tax department was carrying out coordinated searches at several locations linked to the Confident Group, a major developer in the luxury housing segment in Bengaluru and Kerala.

The company has been involved in tax disputes and appeals before the Karnataka High Court and the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, officials said.

About CJ Roy

Confident Group founder CJ Roy, originally from Kochi, was also associated with the Malayalam film industry. He produced films, including the 2012 Mohanlal-starrer Casanova.

His company also served as the title sponsor for multiple seasons of the television reality show Bigg Boss Malayalam, hosted by actor Mohanlal.

Also read: Bengaluru Startup Founder automates Swiggy orders using AI assistant, netizens debate on convenience vs control (startuppedia.in)