In a shocking incident, Dr. CJ Roy, the 57-year-old founder and chairman of real estate firm Confident Group, was found dead at his Bengaluru office on Friday, with police suspecting suicide by gunshot. The incident occurred amid raids by Income Tax Department on multiple premises linked to the company.
Roy, a prominent figure in South India’s real estate sector, allegedly shot himself with a licensed firearm at his Langford Town bungalow, which also served as his office. After a gunshot was heard, his staff rushed to his room and found him in a pool of blood with a gunshot injury to his head. He was rushed to Narayana Hospital in HSR Layout, where he was declared dead on arrival. Bengaluru City Police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said, “today in Ashok Nagar Police Station limits an incident has taken place wherein the Confident Group Chairman shot himself. He was immediately shifted to nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.” He added, “the Income Tax team was searching the premises for last 2,3 days. Police are in touch with the family members who are not in India. As of now, it’s a case of self-shooting.”
While authorities have confirmed that he was facing income tax raids, they cautioned against drawing premature conclusions, saying that it’s too early to link the raids directly to the suicide. Police officials emphasised that the investigation is in its preliminary stages, and no suicide note has been found so far.
The Income Tax raids, which began earlier in the day, targeted Confident Group’s offices in Bengaluru and Kerala, focusing on suspected financial irregularities. CJ Roy was also questioned earlier in the day as part of the raids.
Confident Group, known for residential and commercial projects across Kerala, Karnataka, and other regions, had faced multiple IT raids in the past and was embroiled in disputes before the Appellate Tribunal and the Karnataka High Court.
Roy, often referred to as a self-made entrepreneur, built Confident Group into a major player in the real estate industry. Beyond the real-estate business, he was also a film producer and a sponsor of Kannada cultural events.
The event underscores ongoing concerns about tax compliance in the real estate industry, where firms like Confident Group have been under scrutiny for years. Further updates are expected as the probe unfolds.
