Kerala Chief Minister Demands Judicial Inquiry into Businessman's Death During Income Tax Operation
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has formally urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to initiate steps for a judicial probe into the death of Confident Group chairman CJ Roy. The incident occurred during an Income Tax search operation at Roy's office in Bengaluru, where he allegedly shot himself.
Shock and Condemnation from the Business Community
In a strongly worded letter to the Finance Minister, Vijayan expressed that the business community and civil society across Kerala and beyond have been deeply shocked by this tragic event. He described the incident as a blot on the tax administration of the country, particularly at a time when the stated aim has been to adopt non-intrusive methods using data to guide and enable compliance.
Call for Extreme Caution in Tax Operations
The Chief Minister emphasized that while intrusive actions by tax authorities may be necessary in rare cases as the situation warrants, there must be extreme caution exercised during the initiation, conduct, and conclusion of such operations. Vijayan pointed out that from emerging reports, it appears a lack of required diligence contributed to the loss of a precious life.
While being in complete agreement that tax evasion is a serious problem and every effort has to be taken to curb it, no action leading to loss of a precious life, as happened in the case of Roy, can be justified in a civilised democratic society, Vijayan stated in his communication.
Surprise Over Access to Firearm During Raid
One of the most concerning aspects highlighted by the Kerala CM was how Roy managed to access a loaded firearm during the ongoing Income Tax operation. It is surprising that the person, on whose premises I-T officials were conducting a search and seizure operation, could proceed to lay hands on a loaded gun and shoot himself when tax department officials were going ahead with their operations, Vijayan remarked, raising serious questions about procedural safeguards.
Details of the Incident and Official Response
According to senior tax officials, CJ Roy had provided a statement to the Income Tax Department on Thursday. His death occurred the following day while tax officials were present on his premises. Officials clarified that Income Tax personnel were operating on a different floor under a prohibitory order when Roy was on another floor where the incident took place. Immediately after the incident, I-T officers called off their operations.
Vijayan has specifically requested that the judicial inquiry be conducted by a Commission of Inquiry headed by a person who has served in a constitutional court, ensuring impartiality and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Roy's death.
