Former Mumbai ATS Chief Himanshu Roy has allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service revolver.
Roy, an IPS officer of the 1988 batch, was reportedly suffering from cancer. According to a police statement, “Mr Roy had been on medical leave for the last two years and the suicide note, in his own handwriting, makes it clear that he ended his life out of frustration due to this illness.”
Roy had a splendid career in which he cracked several high-profile cases and handled important responsibilities.
Roy started his career at Malegaon in 1991, where he handled the riots in the wake of Babri Masjid demolition. Later, he served as superintendent of police in Nashik, becoming the youngest SP, and later at Ahmednagar, before being appointed the deputy commissioner of police of Mumbai police’s economic offences wing. He also worked in the traffic department and was later promoted as the commissioner of police in Nashik, where he handled the Khairlanji murder case. In 2009, he was made the joint commissioner of police (crime) and worked on important cases including murder of journalist J Dey, Laila Khan, among others.
Roy’s last major case was the 2013 IPL spot-fixing case and he was responsible for arrest of Vindu Dara Singh for alleged links to bookies in this spot fixing. After his stint at the crime branch, Roy was transferred to the state’s anti-terrorism squad (ATS). There, he headed the team that foiled the conspiracy to blow up an American School at Bandra-Kurla Complex. Later he got a side posting as additional director general of police (establishment). “Himanshu’s passing away is a great loss,” said Mumbai police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar.
letters@tehelka.com
