26-year-old Karnataka IPS officer, on his way to first posting, dies in accident

Hassan (Karanataka): A 26-year-old IPS officer on his way to take up his first posting died in a road accident in Hassan district, police said on Monday.

Harsh Bardhan, a 2023-bach officer of the Karnataka cadre, was travelling from Mysuru to Hassan in an official car when the crash occurred near Kittane, about 10 km from Hassan, around 4:20 pm.

The accident took place on Sunday evening, when the tyre of the police vehicle he was travelling in allegedly burst near Kittane in Hassan taluk, following which the driver lost control and the vehicle hit a house and a tree on the roadside, police said.

According to police, Bardhan was on his way to Hassan to report for duty as a probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police in Holenarasipur, police said.

Bardhan sustained severe head injuries and died in the hospital during the course of treatment, while the driver, Manjegowda, suffered minor injuries, a senior police officer said.

A native of Dosar village in Madhya Pradesh's Singrauli district, Bardhan had recently completed his four-week training at the Karnataka Police Academy (KPA) in Mysuru and was en route to take up his first posting as the Assistant Superintendent of Police, Hassan.

Bardhan's family is originally from Bihar. His father, Akhilesh, is a sub-divisional magistrate. A civil engineer by training, Bardhan had completed district practical training in Hassan for six months. The IPS officer had recently completed his four-week training at the Karnataka Police Academy in Mysuru.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered condolences to the officer's family.

"Saddened to hear about the death of probationary IPS officer Harsh Bardhan in a horrific accident near Kittane border of Hassan-Mysuru Highway. It is very sad that such an accident happened while he was on his way to take charge as an IPS office. This should not have happened when years of hard work were paying off," he said in a post on 'X'.

"I pray to God that Harsh Bardhan's soul rests in peace. My condolences to the family of the deceased," he added.