Former Mumbai top cop Himanshu Roy commits suicide

NEW DELHI: Former Mumbai top cop Himanshu Roy has allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service revolver around 1.40 pm today. He was taken to the Bombay Hospital but was later declared dead.

Roy, an IPS officer of the 1988 batch, was reportedly suffering from cancer but exact reason for suicide is not known yet.

Roy had a sterling career in which he cracked several high-profile cases, handled important responsibilities, and moved up the ladder fast.

Though he got a sideposting -- Additional Director General of Police (housing) --in the last reshuffle of Mumbai police’s top deck, for nearly ten years before that Roy handled two of the force’s most important offices. He was joint commissioner, crime, from 2010 to 2014 and during this period Roy led the investigation into the IPL betting scandal and the murders of Laila Khan and five of her relatives at the family’s Igatpuri house.

After the stint at the Crime Branch, Roy was transferred to the state’s Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS). It was during his tenure that the ATS arrested software engineer Anees Ansari for allegedly planning to blow up the American School at Bandra Kurla Complex.

Roy, who had seven years of service left, is also credited with setting up Mumbai’s first Cyber Crime Cell, devising effective anti-dacoity measures in rural Maharashtra and establishing a special cell to deal with crimes related to women.

His last major case was the 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing case and he was responsible for arrest of Vindu Dara Singh for alleged links to bookies in this spot fixing.

Roy did his schooling from Campion School in Fort Mumbai and college from St Xavier's. His father was a well-known doctor from Colaba. The only child, Roy had briefly taken up a CA's job only to leave it 2 years later and focus on IPS.

He met Bhavna, his future wife, and author Amish Tripathi's sister, at the Mazgaon examination hall in 1990. She was also appearing for her IAS exam.

In a career spanning over 15 years, Roy has handled sensitive cases like the post-Babri Masjid demolition riots, Khairlanji.

Over six feet tall, Roy always stood out. He is credited with setting up Mumbai's first Cyber Crime Cell, anti-dacoity measures in rural Maharashtra and the women's cell.