Bengaluru: Gokulam Group Chairman and film producer Gokulam Gopalan on Friday expressed deep grief over the sudden death of Confident Group Chairman CJ Roy, calling him a “generous human being who always stood with society.”

Describing the incident as “extremely painful,” Gopalan said Roy was a close friend who never turned away anyone seeking help. “For people facing hardships, he was a person who would never say no. Whatever he promised, he fulfilled without fail. His passing is deeply painful for all Malayalis living outside Kerala,” he said.

Claiming he was informed about the circumstances of Roy’s death, Gopalan told ANI, “What we understand is this: when Income Tax officers questioned him, they noticed a bag nearby. When they asked him to show it, he opened it himself. There was a gun inside. He took it and shot himself.”

He added that Roy was a man of great self-respect and may have acted in emotional distress. “Perhaps he felt his pride was being hurt. He was someone who never did anything wrong,” Gopalan said.

Earlier on Friday, CJ Roy allegedly shot himself at his office in Bengaluru during an ongoing Income Tax raid. Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said the incident occurred within the limits of Ashok Nagar police station. “The SOCO (Scene of Crime Officer) team and the FSL team are investigating the matter. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead,” he said.

Police said Income Tax officials had been searching his premises for the past two to three days. Family members, who were abroad, are expected to arrive in Bengaluru soon. Authorities said preliminary findings suggest suicide and further investigation is underway.