Bengaluru businessman CJ Roy’s shocking death took a fresh twist with his 9‑page handwritten suicide note. The note, discovered after his death, has also become a probe of the Special Investigation Team (SIT). It addresses not just an apology to his family, but also includes full financial statements, guidance on business succession, and appeals regarding his workers. Investigators say the note shows serious planning before Roy took his life and is now critical to the case.
And the nine‑page note is important because it is a note deeper than a simple goodbye. It includes:
- Apology to his family for the pain resulting from his choice.
- Detailed statements outlining his assets, liabilities and creditors.
- Instructions on business succession, suggesting how to run his enterprises in death’s wake.
- Listed creditors and other financial liabilities, clarifying what remains to be done.
- Appeal to retain long‑serving staff members and loyal staff who supported him for years.
Investigators think the note shows Roy had a strong awareness of the consequences of his actions and wanted to leave behind a roadmap for his family and business associates.
Now, the Special Investigation Team focuses on the contents of the note. To understand the family’s perspective and to verify the details mentioned in the document, statements from Roy’s wife, Annie, and his children are being recorded. The SIT is investigating if financial pressures, business conflicts or other external pressures played a role in his choice. The note’s disclosures in great detail suggest that financial stress might have played an important part.
The case has also attracted political attention. Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister, asking for a judicial inquiry into the case. His intervention emphasises the need for transparent disclosure of the circumstances that led to Roy’s death. A judicial inquiry would investigate everything, financial, personal and professional, and hold those involved accountable if any wrongdoing emerges.
Roy’s note, in particular, referenced his employees and urged retaining long‑serving and loyal employees. This is about caring for the livelihoods of those who depended on him. In the brief, it gives business succession directions from the note. But the future of his businesses in the long term could depend on the way his family and his colleagues will make the transition.
The revelation of the suicide note has sent shockwaves throughout the business world and beyond. Many interpret it as proof of the incredible pressure that entrepreneurs undergo and that psychological support is vitally needed. The conversations on social media are going to be around tighter financial regulations, more support for business heads and some level of understanding of the psychological impact stress has on people.
This case has several key lessons:
- Financial transparency: Roy's thorough information on his business clearly shows the importance of clarity in business dealings.
- Mental health awareness: Entrepreneurs often have quiet battles that are best kept out of sight for longer.
- Legal accountability: Should a court be asked to look into what drove this disaster, it could find all the wrong parts of an administration.
- Employee welfare: Roy's appeal to protect the well‑loved persons on his staff is an attempt to give us those people who are not involved with the business as human beings.
A nine‑page suicide note from CJ Roy has opened the floodgates on a new line of investigation that broadens beyond individual tragedy to encompass questions of accountability and governance. The SIT is probing the document closely and political elites have called for a judicial inquiry so that the information is transparent. Roy’s last lines apologizing to his family, revealing his liabilities, calling for protection for his employees embody both his sorrow and his sense of obligation. The case highlights the strain business leaders are under, as well as the need for compassion, accountability, and systemic support.
