26-year-old IPS officer, en route to first posting in Karnataka, dies in road accident

NEW DELHI: A 26-year-old IPS officer died in a tragic road accident in the Hassan district, who was en route to take up his first posting. Harsh Bardhan, a 2023-batch Karnataka cadre IPS officer from Madhya Pradesh.
The accident occurred on Sunday evening near Kittane in Hassan taluk when the police vehicle's tyre burst. The driver lost control, causing the vehicle to collide with a house and a roadside tree.
Bardhan was travelling to Hassan to assume his role as a probationary assistant superintendent of Police in Holenarasipur. He sustained critical head injuries and succumbed during treatment, whilst the driver, Manjegowda, escaped with minor injuries.
The young officer had recently completed his four-week training at the Karnataka Police Academy in Mysuru. His father serves as a sub-divisional magistrate.
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah expressed his condolences to the bereaved 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 posted on 'X'.

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