HIMANSHU ROY Dasondi, an IPS officer of the 1988 batch, was at the helm of several important cases when he was the joint commissioner of police (crime) in Mumbai. However, as much as he is remembered for his policing skills, many in the force remember him for his impressive personality.
Six-feet tall with the physique that bore testimony to hours spent in the gym, Roy’s walrus moustache and a baritone to match, had his colleagues and even those in the film industry sit up and seek fitness tips. For his subordinates, however, he was also a boss who placed his trust in them and gave them a ‘free hand’ that, many juniors believed, helped them do their job with increased vigour.
Born on June 23, 1963, Roy grew up in Colaba. His father was a well known doctor. Roy went to Campion School and later studied commerce at St Xavier’s College. After graduating in 1985, he went on become a chartered accountant (CA).
Roy was, however, interested in pursuing a career in civil services. He decided to take the civil services exam and was inducted as an IPS officer on August 21, 1989. One of his first postings was in Malegaon, where he was posted from 1991 to 1995. There, he handled the riots post Babri Masjid demolition. After a stint in Ahmednagar, Roy was posted in Mumbai in March 2001. For four years — from 2004 to 2008 — he was the commissioner of Nashik police, following which he returned to Mumbai.
Crime Branch officers to this day credit Roy for “trusting them and giving them a free hand”. A police inspector who had worked with Roy, said: “He did not believe in taking updates every week from officers like some others did. He told us that ‘I trust you’ and gave us a free hand. If things did not work out sometimes, he stood by us. The confidence that he would not put the blame on us if things went wrong ensured that we could work with a
free hand.”
“Some of the best police detections took place during his tenure. We all tried our best to deserve the trust he had in us,” the officer added. Another officer said, “Another good thing about him was that he did not hog the credit when a case was cracked. Some senior officers do not like it if the names of juniors appear prominently in the media. Roy saab would encourage us to showcase the good work done by us.” During Roy’s tenure as the joint commissioner of police (crime), a batch of officers started emulating his appearance. “We were all in awe of him. Hence, several of us started working out in the gym. Some even grew a moustache like him and wore tight fitting shirts,” said an officer.
Roy’s gym trainer Rahul Patil said, “Roy sir was like family to me. I am really saddened, as he was a very happy person. Being an IPS officer, he had a lot of knowledge about exercises, due to which, I learnt a lot from him.”
Roy was regular at South Mumbai gymnasiums and his wife, Bhawna, used to regularly accompany him.