What is the story about?
Bengaluru business tycoon, Confident Group Chairman CJ Roy, allegedly shot himself at his office on Friday (January 30) after he was being questioned by
income tax officials. However, it has been a day since the businessman died, and the authorities are probing why Roy took his life. As it is still unclear, the police have registered the case as a "suspicious death" and are probing the matter. Moreover, a team of forensics has visited his office and has collected the material evidence, which is currently under examination.
5 Things Officials Are Examining To Probe Roy's Death
Statements of IT Officials
Since the IT officials were present at the time of Roy's death, their statements will be recorded as per the investigation. Moreover, they will also be asked about the questions they asked CJ Roy and the conversations they had with him.
Statements of Office Staff
The investigators, probing the death of Bengaluru business tycoon, will also ask questions to employees and staff members who were present in the office at the time of the incident.
For further probe, the investigators want to know whether there were any behavioural changes in Roy in the past days.
Bank Transactions
To identify whether Roy was under financial stress or something related to it, the investigators will also go through the bank transactions of Roy to check any unusual financial movements, loan-related stress or money pressure from anyone.
Mobile Phone and Call Records
The investigators will also check Roy's mobile phone, which was earlier seized by the police. They are now tracking and checking his Call Detail Records (CDR), WhatsApp messages, emails, and other digital data to check who all were contacted in his last days.
Forensic, Medical Reports
The police have seized the pistol and the ammunition used by Roy to kill himself. The forensics and the experts are currently making a detailed report. Moreover, the police are also analysing the fingerprints collected at the incident site and the post-mortem findings.
What did Roy's Family Say On His Death?
The Confident Group Founder and Chairman died after income tax officials from Kerala visited him for questioning. During the questioning at his Bengaluru office, Roy reportedly went to another cabin and killed himself using his licensed gun.
CJ, who was in his late 50s, suffered bullet injuries from his licensed firearm at his office near Richmond Circle in the city.
His brother, CJ Babu, who owns WhiteGold, blamed the IT officials for his death. "He shot himself with a pistol. The I-T officials are solely responsible for his death," Babu told TOI.
Roy was promoting several upscale real estate projects in Kerala, and came under the I-T scanner amid an intensified crackdown on builders. A team from Kerala conducted searches at his premises on Dec 3 and 6 and again on Jan 28.
"Tremendous pressure and harassment by I-T officials resulted in this," he said, adding that Roy had no business stress, outstanding loans or mental health issues.
"My brother cooperated fully and submitted all documents. Yet, the officials kept returning. He told me several times that the I-T trouble was unbearable. Additional commissioner Krishna Prasad and his team from Kerala must answer what led to this," Babu added.
Who was CJ Roy?
CJ Roy headed a diversified Bengaluru-based conglomerate and was widely known for his strong presence in the real estate sector. He had business ventures in Kerala, Karnataka, and even in the Gulf.
He founded the Confident Group in 2006, building it into a large, debt-free enterprise with projects spanning India and the Middle East. The group has over 160 projects across India and the UAE, including marquee developments such as Zion Hills Golf County, a single project valued at around Rs 3,000 crore.
Beyond real estate, Roy, as per reports, was also a prominent film producer in the Malayalam and Kannada film industries. He backed big-budget films, including Casanovva (2012) and co-produced the National Award-winning Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham. He also sponsored popular television reality shows such as Bigg Boss Malayalam and Bigg Boss Kannada.
