In a heart-wrenching incident, 26-year-old IPS officer Harsh Bardhan, a 2023-batch officer of the Karnataka cadre, lost his life in a road accident near Kittane on Sunday evening. The officer was on his way to assume his first posting as a probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Holenarasipur, Hassan district.
The accident occurred when the police vehicle Bardhan was traveling in suffered a tyre burst on the Hassan-Mysuru Highway. The driver lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, colliding with a tree and a house, according to police sources. While Bardhan sustained severe head injuries and succumbed during treatment, the driver, identified as Manjegowda, escaped with minor injuries.
A native of Dosar village in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli district, Harsh 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. His untimely death has left the Karnataka police force and his family devastated.
Reacting to the tragedy, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed profound grief, stating on social media:
“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 officer. This should not have happened when years of hard work were paying off.”
He added, “I pray to God that Harsh Bardhan’s soul rests in peace. My condolences to the family of the deceased.”
