Dubai-based Indian expat businessman Dr CJ Roy dies by suicide in Bengaluru: Reports

Dubai: Dubai-based Indian expat businessman and Confident Group Chairman Dr C.J. Roy has died by suicide, Indian media reported on Friday.

According to reports, Dr Roy shot himself at his office in Bengaluru in Karnataka. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

According to several Indian media reports, the incident was linked to an ongoing raid by the Income Tax Department on his company.

Dr Roy was a prominent builder and film producer. A UAE Golden Visa holder, he lived in Dubai’s Emirates Hills and split his time between the UAE and India.

The New Indian Express said the 57-year-old died by suicide at his office in central Bengaluru.

Police said he was found with a gunshot wound inside his office premises, the report said.

Earlier in the day, Dr Roy's office was raided by the Income Tax Department and he was subjected to questioning.

Soon after a gunshot was heard, staff members rushed to his room and found him lying in a pool of blood. He was immediately taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead, PTI reported.

Forensic teams were called in to examine the scene, and procedural formalities, including post-mortem examination, were initiated. Police have not disclosed any immediate motive, and it remains unclear whether a suicide note was recovered, according TNIE.

Officers said they were examining Dr Roy’s personal and professional circumstances and were speaking with family members, employees and close associates as part of the investigation, the report added.

“As of now, reports indicate that for the past two to three days, the Income Tax team has been conducting a search of these premises. The team had come from Kerala. We are not aware of all the details at this stage and have not started a full investigation yet, as the complaint is still being drafted. We are in touch with the family members, who are currently not in India and are arriving on a flight tonight. Once they arrive, we will be able to ascertain further details,” Times Now quoted Bengaluru Police Commissioner as saying.

Additional details are expected to come to light as the investigation progresses.

Meanwhile, CJ Babu, brother of Dr CJ Roy revealed that the primary reason behind his brother’s death was pressure from the Income Tax officials. Speaking to multiple Indian media outlets, he alleged that IT sleuths from Kerala had put tremendous pressure on Dr Roy.

Speaking to Times Now, he expressed his anguish over the treatment of businesspeople by authorities. He also named Additional Commissioner Krishna Prasad and his team as being responsible, referring to the officers from Kerala state involved in the proceedings.

According to Babu, Dr Roy had no financial stress, loans, or business complications. “He had no problems in business. The documents were already submitted during previous visits. If Income Tax officers exert so much pressure, it becomes very difficult to conduct normal business,” he told News First online news website.

He said Dr Roy's family members had left from Dubai to Bengaluru.

The news has shocked several Indian expats in the UAE and resident Indians back home, especially those from Kerala, his native place where Dr Roy is a household name.