Himanshu Roy, a top Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and a former chief of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, committed suicide on Friday, May 11. He was 54.

Roy, who was serving as the Additional Director General of Police in Maharashtra, shot himself with his service revolver at his residence in south Mumbai between 1pm and 1:15pm.

His wife Bhavna, who was in their home at the time of the incident, rushed him to the nearby Bombay Hospital in Marine Lines where Roy was declared dead on arrival at 1:47 pm.

The Mumbai Police, which has registered an accidental death report, confirmed that Roy committed suicide by shooting himself in the mouth.

A one-page suicide note was recovered from his residence, the Mumbai Police said in a press statement.

The statement quotes Roy as saying that he had taken the extreme step because he had been suffering from cancer for the past two years.

It is believed that Roy sat in his bedroom in his south Mumbai apartment, penned the suicide note and then shot himself in the mouth with his service pistol.

CANCER

Roy, a fitness enthusiast known for his brawny built, had developed a swelling on his body nearly four years ago, which was later detected to be a cancer. He continued to work while under treatment.

Two years ago, when the cancer spread to his bones, he went on a medical leave.

The cancer however spread later to his brain for which he was to undergo a surgery.

The ailment put him through what a former colleague described as unbearable pain.

'HERCULES ROY'

Tributes poured in for Roy after news of his death spread. The IPS Association called it a "big tragedy".

"We lost one of our very bright officers Sri Himanshu Roy, IPS of 1988 batch Maharashtra, today. A fiercely brave officer, his loss is irreparable," the association said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called him a "capable officer" who was known to be a "daring office".

MUST READ | Himanshu Roy: Mumbai's superpoliceman

Former Mumbai Police commissioner MN Roy, who was once Roy's boss, drew attention to the stress police officers face. "It is sad that an officer has to take such steps out of depression," MN Roy said while speaking to reporters in Mumbai.

"He [Roy] was a bright officer. It's very sad that young officer like him had to shoot himself. We should think of giving a break to our police officers between two assignments," the former Mumbai top cop added.

I would jokingly call him 'Hercules Roy' - Milind Deora, politician

Tributes also poured in from prominent Mumbai personalities such as actor-director Farhan Akhtar and politician Milind Deora.

"I would jokingly call him 'Hercules Roy' because of his overawing athletic build," Deora said in a tweet.

'BOMBAY BOY'

A 1988 batch IPS officer, Roy served as Mumbai Police's joint commissioner of crime from 2010 to 2014 and during this period 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.

Roy was instrumental in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing investigation and other high-profile crime cases such as the firing on Dawood's brother Iqbal Kaskar's driver Arif, and the murders of journalist J Dey's murder, Vijay Palande, and Laila Khan.

A 'Bombay' boy, Roy was an ex-student of Campion and St Xavier's College, Mumbai.

Himanshu Roy investigated journalist J Dey's murder. In this photo from June 2011, Roy is seen with the then Mumbai Police commissioner Arup Patnaik, holding up the gun that was used to kill J Dey (File photo)

His career as a police officer saw a meteoric rise. In 1995, he was appointed as the SP of Nasik (rural), the youngest officer to get that post.

He went on to serve as the commissioner of Nasik police between 2004 and 2007 and two years later, he was appointed as the joint commissioner of police in Mumbai.

(With inputs from India Today TV correspondents in Mumbai and agencies)

READ | Who was Himanshu Roy, 'the Dabang' of the Mumbai Police? | 10 points

READ | A fiercely brave officer: Tributes pour in for Himanshu Roy

READ | Himanshu Roy suicide: From Khairlanji Masscare to IPL spot-fixing, Mumbai top cop probed them all

WATCH | Himanshu Roy on 26/11 attacks: When you lose, don't lose the lesson