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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought a judicial inquiry into the death of real estate tycoon CJ Roy during an Income Tax search operation in Bengaluru on January 30. Flagging serious procedural lapses, the CM termed the incident a blot on the country’s tax administration.
In a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Vijayan said the “unnatural death” of the Confident Group head had deeply affected the community. “From reports that are coming, it seems that lack of required diligence has resulted in the loss of the precious life of an entrepreneur,” the Chief Minister said.
Pinarayi Vijayan said the incident stood in sharp contrast to the Union governmentstated approach to tax administration.
The Chief Minister pointed to what he described as a shocking lapse during the search operation. “It is quite surprising that the person on whose premises, the Income Tax department was conducting a search and seizure operation, could proceed to lay hands on a loaded gun and shoot himself. During such operations, the premises are to be under the control of the tax officials. The safe conduct of search is the minimum responsibility of officials,” he said.
Highlighting mandatory procedures, the Chief Minister noted that any deviation could have grave consequences. “In any search operation, the person against whom the search warrant has been issued needs to be present at the place where the officials are conducting the search. Established procedures require that there have to be at least two independent witnesses. If correct, this is a serious lapse,” the CM wrote, referring to reports that Roy had moved to another room during the operation.
CM added, “The logical conclusion that follows is that non-compliance in following minimum essential protocol in the conduct of search has led to the loss of a human life. It is also equally important to pay attention to the grievances of the bereaved family.”
The Chief Minister cited allegations raised by Roy’s brother, as reported in the media. “My brother cooperated fully and submitted all the documents. Yet the officials kept returning. He said several times that the I-T trouble was unbearable,” Vijayan quoted from a ToI report.
Calling for an impartial probe, Pinarayi said that internal reports or mere assertions of procedural compliance would not inspire public confidence, and that only a judicial inquiry examining the entire sequence of events would have credibility in the eyes of society.
He urged the Union government to act without delay by ordering a judicial inquiry into the incident and constituting a Commission of Inquiry headed by a former judge of a constitutional court.
Emphasising the need to balance strict enforcement with human rights, the Chief Minister said that while tax evasion must be firmly curbed, no action resulting in the loss of a human life could be justified in a civilised democratic society, and that uncivilised acts in the name of ensuring tax compliance must face zero tolerance.