Image Credit: Instagram
BENGALURU: Confident Group chairman CJ Roy was found dead at his Langford Town office in Bengaluru on Friday after sustaining a gunshot injury. The 57-year-old allegedly shot himself on the left side of his chest between 3pm and 3.10pm. The weapon is believed to be licensed, though authorities are still verifying this.The IT searchesA team of Income Tax (I-T) officials from Kochi, Kerala, working with Bengaluru counterparts, had been conducting searches at the Confident Group office for three days.
This was described as a continuation of a larger raid carried out last month, during which officials scrutinised and seized certain documents.Timeline of events
- 12 noon: I-T officers arrive at Confident Group’s office
- 2 pm: CJ Roy enters office
- 2–3 pm: Officials ask him to sign and review certain documents
- 3–3.10 pm: Roy goes into his private cabin, takes out pistol, shoots himself, and collapses
Roy reportedly told I-T officials he had some documents in his cabin and went inside. Minutes later, a gunshot was heard. Police have not confirmed whether the cabin was under CCTV surveillance.Close protection and work routine“Roy kept briefcase with pistol & docus always close to him,” a source said.Police quoted I-T officials as saying: “Roy was not restricted from doing his regular work today, as we were only conducting scrutiny to lift prohibitory orders against his firm.”Family to arrive from DubaiRoy’s wife and two children — a son and a daughter, both in their early 20s — are based in Dubai and are expected to reach Bengaluru early on Saturday.Investigation ongoingThe circumstances that led Confident Group owner Roy Chiriankandath Joseph, popularly known as CJ Roy, to take his life are still under investigation. His family has blamed income tax officials from Kerala for his death.Social media presence and early careerRoy had an active Instagram presence with 1.3 million followers, though he had disabled the comment section.According to CJ Roy, his first purchase comprised two pieces of land in Kakkanad, Kerala. While 100 flats were designed and much was spent on roadshows, there were zero sales.“But a chance encounter in Mumbai with an executive of a Malayalam TV channel led him to offer his flat as the prize to the winner of a reality show. He became the show’s brand ambassador and became the talk of the town. The popularity led to flat sales soon after,” he said.He was a good businessman: DK ShivakumarOn the death of Confident Group’s chairman CJ Roy, Karnataka deputy chief minister, DK Shivakumar said, “When they (IT officials) were asking him a lot of questions, he is said to have asked for five minutes of time, gone inside, and did this (shot himself). So we will do a high-level investigation and bring out the truth. We have learnt that a team from Kerala came here, and the investigation will reveal further details. “This shouldn’t have happened; he was a good businessman. We have also been asked for a report from Delhi. Our government will let the people know the truth after doing a detailed investigation,” he said further.
