CJ Roy death case: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan writes to FM Sitharaman, seeks judicial inquiry

Pinarayi Vijayan

Seeking a judicial inquiry into the "unnatural death" of industrialist CJ Roy, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday wrote to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman raising concerns about alleged procedural lapses during the search.

CJ Roy, chairperson of the real estate firm Confident Group, allegedly shot himself to death at his office in Langford Town, Bengaluru, while Income Tax search and seizure operations were ongoing on the premises on Friday (January 30).

According to the initial probe, the IT sleuths questioned Roy in the afternoon, after which he reportedly asked permission to make a phone call to his mother. Minutes later, he shot himself in his chest with a pistol and was found lying in a pool of blood.

In a strongly worded letter, the Kerala CM termed the incident a “blot on the country’s tax administration” and raised serious concerns about alleged procedural lapses during the search. He questioned how Roy was able to access a loaded gun while officials were present, calling it a “serious failure of protocol”.

Vijayan highlighted the family’s allegations of harassment by IT officials, citing statements made by Roy’s brother. He stressed that only an impartial judicial inquiry headed by a former constitutional court judge can bring out the full truth and prevent similar tragedies.

While acknowledging the ongoing Karnataka Police investigation, Vijayan said a wider probe is essential to examine administrative procedures, due diligence, and the conduct of officials. He urged the Centre to order the inquiry “without delay” and submit a time-bound report.