Promising young IPS officer dies in road accident on way to first posting in Karnataka

A 26-year-old probationary IPS officer was killed in a road accident on Dec 1 while on his way to take up his first posting in Karnataka's Hassan district.

Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, Harsh Bardhan was a 2023-batch officer of the Karnataka cadre and had completed his training at the Karnataka Police Academy in Mysuru.

He was on his way to Hassan to report as a probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police in Holenarasipur, the police said.

According to the Hassan district police, the driver of the police vehicle carrying Bardhan lost control after a tyre burst, leading it to crash into a house and a roadside tree.

Bardhan was rushed to Janapriya Hospital in Hassan. He sustained severe injuries and efforts were made to transfer him to a hospital in Bengaluru, but he succumbed to his injuries.

The driver, District Armed Reserve (DAR) constable Manjegowda, suffered minor injuries and is receiving treatment in Hassan.

Visuals from the accident site showed the mangled wreckage of the police vehicle.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took to X to express condolences. “Saddened to hear about the death of probationary IPS officer Harsh Bardhan in a horrific accident near Kittane border of Hassan-Mysuru Highway,” he wrote on X.

"Sadly, such an accident happened while he was on his way to take charge as an IPS officer. This should not have happened when years of hard work were paying off. I pray to God that Harsh Bardhan's soul rests in peace. My condolences to the family," Siddaramaiah added.

Former chief minister of Karnataka, Sadananda Gowda, called it a "tragic loss". "India has lost a dedicated young officer in the making," the ex-Lok Sabha MP posted on X.