SIT formed to probe suspected suicide of Confident Group chairman CJ Roy

ASpecial investigating team up ( sit around) has been formed to look into the suspected felo-de-se of Confident Group founder and chairman CJ Roy, police said on Saturday, a day after he was found dead with bullet injuries by Income Tax authorities while they were searching his firm’s office in Bengaluru.Police have registered an Unnatural Death Report at Ashok Nagar Police Station and said the case is being treated prima facie as a suicide, while inquiries continue.ALSO READ | Who was Confident Group chairman CJ Roy, real estate baron found dead at his Bengaluru officeCity police commissioner, Seemanth Kumar Singh, ordered the formation of the SIT, calling for “a comprehensive and meticulous investigation into this case.” The unit is led by C Vamshi Krishna, joint commissioner of police, West Zone. Lokesh Jagalasar, deputy commissioner of police, South Division, has been designated as the investigating officer. Akshay Hake, deputy commissioner of police, Central Division, along with senior personnel drawn from multiple divisions and special units, will serve on the team.“The Special Investigation Team has been empowered to induct additional officers and resources as required for the purposes of the investigation,” the official statement said, adding that all relevant officers have been directed to assist in ensuring a “lawful, prompt, and effective investigation.”Karnataka’s home minister, G Parameshwara, said police had begun a preliminary inquiry and that decisions on further action would follow the findings. “Several aspects need to be examined, what happened before the incident and what led him to take an extreme step. I have instructed the police to conduct a detailed investigation. Once the report is submitted, the facts will become clear and further decisions will be taken accordingly,” he said.ALSO READ | ‘He only had Income Tax issue’: Confident Group chairman CJ Roy's brother on his deathHe added that claims of harassment linked to the tax searches had not yet been examined. “We have not thought about the IT harassment angle at this stage. The team has not examined the IT aspect so far. If the investigation throws up such details, it will be looked into,” he said.Family members have alleged that Roy had been under severe strain in the days before his death. His brother, Babu Roy, said searches at company premises began in December 2025 and that officials again came to the office on January 29, asking Roy to be present the next day. “Krishnaprasad from the Income Tax department and his team came in December 2025. My brother had told me many times that the pressure from the Income Tax department was too much. Even on the morning of January 30, he spoke to me. He had been under severe pressure for the past few days. I am not sure what kind of pressure they put on him, but he had no debts and no financial issues. I have lost my brother,” he told news channels.He also confirmed that Roy owned a licensed firearm.A tax official said Krishnaprasad KK, a joint director (Investigation), had led the December searches, but it was unclear whether he was present at the time of Roy’s death. Another official said a junior officer had been overseeing the execution of a prohibitory order.The official was not available for a comment.According to the statement given to police by TA Joseph, managing director of the Confident Group, Roy had gone to the Langford Road office to provide a statement to tax officials. After entering his cabin, Roy later said he wished to speak with his mother. Joseph stepped out, and security personnel were told not to allow anyone inside.When repeated knocking went unanswered, staff broke open the locked door. Roy was found seated, with bloodstains on his shirt, and unresponsive. An ambulance was called, and medical staff reported no pulse. He was taken to Narayana Hospital in HSR Layout but could not be revived. Police said he had used a licensed gun. Later that night, his body was shifted from a private hospital to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital for a postmortem examination.