Too early to link Confident Group chairman CJ Roy’s death to income tax pressure, says Karnataka home minister Parameshwara

BENGALURU: Home minister G Parameshwara Tuesday said it was "too early" to connect the death of Confident Group chairman CJ Roy to alleged pressure from the income tax department, as claimed by his family.

"Everything will be ascertained once the probe is completed. Until then, we can't arrive at any conclusion. It can't be said at this stage that the suicide was due to a particular reason," Parameshwara said.


He added that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the state govt has already started its probe. "The team will record the statements of the family members and others, and we'll see what comes out," he told reporters.

He was responding to questions on a written query by Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the matter. "I don't know the contents of the letter, but we should wait and see what decision is taken. The income tax department comes under the Union minister. I don't know whether she will order a judicial inquiry or any other probe," he said.

Roy, a native of Kerala, was found dead at his Bengaluru office on Jan 30 with bullet injuries. Police said he died by suicide while an I-T raid was under way. According to investigators, Roy shot himself in the chest inside his first-floor office chamber and was alone at the time. After hearing the gunshot, I-T officials rushed into the room and shifted him to a hospital.

His brother CJ Babu has claimed that the businessman was under pressure because of the I-T department's proceedings.