Senior Maharashtra cop Himanshu Roy shoots himself, police community in shock

Senior IPS Officer and Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra, Himanshu Roy committed suicide in Mumbai on Friday, sending shockwaves across the state's police establishment.

Roy shot himself with a service revolver at his residence. The police officer was suffering from blood and bone cancer for the last two and half years. The extreme pain during the treatment is said to have driven the officer to take this extreme step.

Apparently, Roy was at his residence on the fourth floor of Suruchi Building near YB Chavhan Centre in South Mumbai when he shot himself. It is learnt that his wife and servants were in the house when Roy shot himself in his room. Everyone ran to his room when they heard the gunshot. Finding him in a pool of blood, his driver rushed Roy to Bombay Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The news of Roy’s suicide shook the police department and senior officials immediately rushed to the hospital.

An officer of 1988 batch and alumni of St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, Roy had served on various important positions. He was the chief of Mumbai Crime Branch for four years. During his tenure at the Crime Branch, Roy successfully investigated sensitive cases such as 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Kamla Mill gang-rape case, IPL spot fixing case of 2013 and Minakshi Thapa murder case.

Roy also investigated other cases such as Laila Khan murder and high-profile J Dey murder case. Dey, a senior crime reporter from Mumbai was shot dead in broad daylight in the busy Powai area of Mumbai. Roy, who was heading Mumbai Crime Branch at that time, personally investigated the case and collected all the evidence which led to conviction of underworld gangster Chhota Rajan. Roy also investigated and cracked cases such as the firing on Arif, driver of Dawood Ibrahim's brother Iqbal Kaskar and the double murder involving Vijay Palande and law graduate Pallavi Purkayastha as well as the sensational Khairlanji murder case.

From the Crime Branch, he was transferred to the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS). At the time of his death, he was posted as Additional Director General of Police (Establishment). Around two and half years ago, Roy was diagnosed with blood and bone cancer and he had been undergoing treatment for the same ever since. Apparently, Roy had to undergo blood transfusion every three days as a part of the treatment. “It is a highly painful procedure and could breakdown even a strong person like Himanshu Roy, who was known for his passion for body building. The extreme pain and the trauma during the treatment must have forced him to take the extreme step,” said a senior police officer.

Before being promoted as ADG (Establishment), Roy had been posted as Superintendent of Police (SP), Nashik Rural, SP Ahmednagar, DCP Economic Offences Wing (EOW), DCP Traffic, DCP Zone I, Mumbai, Commissioner of Police, Nashik. Joint Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, Head of Cyber Crime Cell, ATS Maharashtra, Additional Director General of Police (Planning and Co-ordination), Additional Director General of Police (Establishment).