The Bengaluru Police on Saturday announced the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the death of Confident Group chairman CJ Roy, who was found dead at his office during Income Tax Department raids.
C. Vamshi Krishna, joint commissioner of police, West Zone, will lead the SIT team. Lokesh Jagalasar, deputy commissioner of police, South Division, has been appointed as the investigating officer.
Roy was found dead inside his office on Friday. He allegedly shot himself during the income-tax raids at his premises. According to preliminary reports, Roy had gone to his Langford Road office to record his statement before the IT sleuths.
He reportedly entered his office and locked the door from inside. He didn’t come out for a while, and when his staff heard the gunshot, they broke in and found him in a pool of blood. He was rushed to a hospital in an unconscious state, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Following Roy’s death, his brother alleged pressure from the Income Tax department. “My brother 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 reporters.
Reacting to the incident, Karnataka Home Minister G Parmeshwara said that several aspects will be examined to know what led him to take the 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,” Parameshwara said.
He, however, said that the IT department harassment angle is not being probed at the moment, but it may be looked into if the investigation throws up such details.