THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Describing the ‘unnatural death’ of businessman CJ Roy during an Income Tax (I-T) Department search in Bengaluru as a blot on the country’s tax administration, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanding a judicial probe into the incident.
In a letter dated Sunday, the Chief Minister said the incident pointed to a serious lack of diligence, noting that it was alarming that a person present on the premises during an I-T search could gain access to a loaded firearm and shoot himself. Vijayan also referred to recent reports suggesting that Roy had been shifted to another room instead of being kept at the site of the search, calling this a grave lapse and evidence of non-compliance with essential protocol.
Stating that an official clarification claiming that legal provisions were followed was insufficient, the Chief Minister argued that a judicial enquiry was necessary to examine the wider aspects of the case. He urged the Union Government to order such an enquiry without delay and ensure that a comprehensive report is submitted within a fixed timeframe. An impartial investigation, he said, was essential to prevent similar tragic incidents in the future.
Referring to the family’s statements to the media that Roy had fully cooperated with the search and that the ‘I-T trouble was unbearable’, Vijayan said the grievances of the immediate family must be viewed with empathy. He added that the family has the right to know all the facts through an impartial enquiry.
While endorsing a zero-tolerance approach towards tax evasion, the Chief Minister stressed that any uncivilised acts must be subjected to equal scrutiny, and that officials have a responsibility to conduct searches in a safe and humane manner.
Without commenting on the merits of the department’s search action, Vijayan said that no action leading to the loss of a precious human life, as in the case of CJ Roy, can be justified in a civilised democratic society.