Karnataka IPS Officer, 26, Killed In Tragic Accident En Route To First Job Posting

In a tragic incident, an IPS officer died in an accident while on his way to take up his first posting in Hassan district, police said on Monday.

The accident occurred on Sunday evening when the tyre of the police vehicle he was travelling in allegedly burst near Kittane in Hassan taluk. As a result, the driver lost control, and the vehicle collided with a house and a tree on the roadside, police said.

The deceased identified as Harsh Bardhan, 26 years old, was a 2023-batch IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre and belongs to Madhya Pradesh.

As per the police, Bardhan was en route to Hassan to begin his duty as a probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police in Holenarasipur.

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

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered condolences to the family of the deceased IPS officer.

He said in a post on  X and said, "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."

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

(With PTI inputs)