A teetotaller, fitness enthusiast and someone with a penchant for Hindustani classical music. This is how super cop Himanshu Roy would be remembered by those close to him.
Over six-feet tall, having rippling muscles, a dramatic moustache, and a rich baritone, Roy stood out with his personality, but it all came apart when he was diagnosed with cancer.
The 1988-batch Indian Police Service officer was very particular about fitness and would attend Bollywood and social events regularly. He was a teetotaller and had a penchant for Hindustani classical music.
Roy, who had been on leave since 2016, was undergoing treatment for cancer. He would have been 55 next month.
Mumbai police, citing his suicide note, said Roy took the extreme step "out of frustration" due to his illness.
The officer became the youngest SP of Nasik (rural) in 1995. Thereafter, he took charge as SP, Ahmednagar; DCP Economic Offences Wing, DCP Traffic, DCP Zone 1, and Commissioner of Police, Nasik.
He was appointed Joint Commissioner of Police Mumbai in 2009 and is credited with setting up Mumbai's first Cyber Crime Cell, the women's cell, and taking anti-dacoity measures in rural Maharashtra.
He had a number of crucial cases to his credit, including those related to the murders of journalist J Dey and Bollywood actor Laila Khan, the Kohinoor Mill rape case and the Goregaon diamond heist.
He was also part of the team which pursued leads related to American-born Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist David Headley, who was involved in carrying out a recce mission ahead of the 26/11 terror strike.
Roy, who was joint commissioner of police (Crime) from 2012-2014, is also credited with leading the investigation into the IPL betting scandal.
He was then transferred to the state ATS. During his tenure as the agency's chief, software engineer Anees Ansari was arrested for allegedly planning to blow up the American school at the Bandra Kurla complex.
Mumbai terror attack convict and Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab was hanged to death during Roy's tenure as Mumbai crime branch chief.
Roy was an alumnus of St Xavier's College, Mumbai. He had also worked as a CA at Arthur Andersen, one of the best accounting firms in the world, before he cleared the UPSC examination and joined the IPS.
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