India: Young IPS officer from Madhya Pradesh dies in tragic road accident in Karnataka

A promising young Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Harsh Bardhan, aged 26, tragically died in a road accident on Sunday while travelling to assume his first posting in Hassan district of Karnataka state. 

The incident occurred as Bardhan, a 2023-batch IPS officer from Madhya Pradesh, was on his way to his first posting in Hassan to begin his duties as a probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police.

Accident details

Bardhan had recently completed his four-week training at the Karnataka Police Academy in Mysuru. According to police reports, the accident occurred when a tyre of the police vehicle he was travelling in reportedly burst, causing the driver to lose control. The vehicle veered off the road, crashing into a house and a tree. Bardhan sustained severe head injuries and succumbed at the hospital, while the driver sustained only minor injuries.

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Condolences from leaders

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda shared his condolences, he posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Tragic loss of 2023 batch IPS probationer Harsha Vardhan in a road accident near Hassan. He was on his way for district training after completing KPA training. India has lost a dedicated young officer in the making."

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also expressed his sorrow over the tragic incident. In a post on X, he 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 officer. This should not have happened when years of hard work were paying off.”

(With inputs from agencies)