The death of C.J. Roy, allegedly following raids by the Income Tax Department in Bengaluru on January 30, is not the first such case in Karnataka. Cafe Coffee Day founder chairman and managing director V.G. Siddhartha, the son-in-law of former Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, too, had allegedly ended his life in 2019, leaving behind a letter blaming his “financial troubles” and harassment by the Income Tax Department for “succumbing to the situation”.
The Income Tax Department had raided Mr. Siddhartha and his firms multiple times in 2018 and 2019.
“Under pressure from a private equity partner to buy back shares”, Siddhartha said in a purported letter he left behind before ending his life, adding, “there was a lot of harassment by the previous DG of Income Tax in the form of attaching our shares on two separate occasions. This was very unfair and has led to a serious liquidity crunch”.
Congress, then in Opposition in Karnataka, had blamed “tax terror” under the BJP regime at the Centre, which they alleged was leading to the “decline of India’s entrepreneurial position”.
(If you are in distress or having suicidal tendencies, please reach out to these 24/7 helplines: KIRAN at 1800-599-0019 or Arogya Sahayavani at 104 for help.)
Published – January 30, 2026 10:11 pm IST
