Mumbai cop who shot self had roots in Navsari

SURAT: Additional director general of police (establishment), Maharashtra state, Himanshu Roy, who committed suicide by shooting himself with his revolver at his residence in Mumbai on Friday, was originally from Bilimora in Navsari district. Roy was from Brahmbhatt community and his original surname was Rao. He did his schooling and higher studies in Mumbai, where his father had migrated many years ago. Roy’s family still owns land in Vansda of Navsari. Roy used to speak in Gujarati when he spoke to officers from the state. Senior police officers of Gujarat remember him as an efficient and kind-hearted officer.

“I came in touch with Roy for some official work a few years ago and he readily helped us. Later, I came to know from some of my community members in Mumbai that he was a Brahmbhatt. His sub-caste was Dasondi and he knew Gujarati very well,” in-charge DG intelligence, Gandhinagar, R B Brahmbhatt said.

“Roy told me that his family originally belonged to Bilimora in Navsari and that they had shifted to Mumbai many years ago. Their original surname was Rao. I am not aware if any of his close relatives are still living in Bilimora,” Brahmbhatt added.

“I met Himanshu during my training to become an IPS officer. He was a 1988 batch officer, but did his training with us in 1989 in Hyderabad. His father was from Navsari in Gujarat and he spoke fluent Gujarati. Since I was allotted Gujarat cadre, I used to learn Gujarati from him,” director general of Raksha Shakti University Vikas Sahay said.
“He was a soft-spoken, well built and very competent officer. I last spoke to him in May 2017 when I came to know about his health. We exchanged a few messages as well. I am surprised because a man with a positive outlook to life had to take such a step,” Sahay added.
Roy was son of a doctor who used to practice in Colaba of Mumbai. After completing class XII, Roy joined medical studies, but quit midway. He later studied chartered accountancy and worked for a few years with a global accountancy firm before taking the UPSC examinations. While preparing for the examinations, he came in touch with his future wife Bhavna, sister of author Amish Tripathi. Bhavna went on to become an IAS officer, but quit soon after their marriage.
At the start of his career he was posted in Malegaon in 1991. He handled riots in Malegaon in the wake of Babri Masjid demolition. He played an important role in the investigation of cases like 2013 IPL spot fixing and betting, murder of journalist J Dey and Laila Khan among others.
by Yagnesh Bharat Mehta via Surat News, Latest Surat News Headlines & Live Updates - Times of India