Bengaluru, February 1, 2026– The tragic death of Confident Group founder and chairman Dr. C.J. Roy (Roy Chiriankandath Joseph), 57, on January 30 during an Income Tax raid at his Langford Town office has thrust Bengaluru’s real estate industry into the spotlight, reigniting concerns over intense regulatory scrutiny amid financial strains and project delays.

Raids by the Kochi I-T team, continuing from December 2025 probes into alleged disproportionate assets and document discrepancies, were underway when Roy entered his Richmond Circle cabin around 3 PM post-questioning, locked it, and shot himself in the chest with his licensed pistol—staff rushed him to Narayana Hospital in HSR Layout, where he was declared dead on arrival. Forensic teams recovered one bullet wound; CCTV, phones, and emails are under analysis, with no suicide note found yet.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on January 31, transferring the case from Ashok Nagar station to probe raid interactions, behavioral shifts, and external pressures—Home Minister G. Parameshwara directed focus on I-T links, noting family claims of harassment despite officials asserting legal procedures and no undue pressure.

Roy’s brother C.J. Babu alleged sole stressor as the raids, which resumed January 28 after summoning him from Dubai; MD T.A. Joseph cited “extreme pressure.”

A Kochi native and NRI promoter, Roy established Confident Group in 2001, developing luxury homes like Triton (Hebbal), Confident Altius, and Kerala projects amid RERA complaints on delays and GST dues—industry peers decry mounting challenges like high borrowing costs, unsold inventory, and tax evasions in a recovering market.

Parallels to V.G. Siddhartha’s 2019 suicide during probes have sparked Kerala parties’ calls for probes; funeral rites to be held on February 1 at Confident Cascade.

This incident underscores vulnerabilities for developers balancing growth and compliance in Bengaluru’s competitive landscape, as SIT awaits forensic clarity.

  CJ Roy, Confident Group, Confident Group Chairman CJ Roy’s Death