In a shocking incident, 26-year-old Harsh Bardhan, an IPS probationary officer from the 2023 batch of Karnataka cadre, died in a road accident on Sunday while going to Hassan district for his first posting. Bardhan hailed from Madhya Pradesh and was all set to begin his career in the state police force after completing training recently.
The accident occurred when reportedly, the tyre of police vehicle Bardhan was driving in burst, and because of that, the control over the vehicle was lost. The vehicle then collided on a house and a tree on a roadside. Bardhan reportedly had severe head injuries in the crush and was rushed to an area hospital, where later he died.
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. pic.twitter.com/toX1l2Nc25
— Sadananda Gowda (@DVSadanandGowda) December 1, 2024
The driver of the vehicle, although injured, it was said that the injuries were not serious. Pictures of the scene showed how seriously mangled the police vehicle had been.
The tragic news has sent shockwaves across the state, with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressing his grief on social media. “It is very sad that such an accident happened while he was on his way to take charge as an IPS officer,” he wrote, extending his condolences to Bardhan’s family and praying for his soul to rest in peace. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda also expressed his sorrow, calling it a “tragic loss” and lamenting the loss of “a dedicated young officer in the making.”
Harsh Bardhan was on his way to Hassan to assume his role as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Holenarasipur. Reports indicate that he had recently completed his four-week training at the Karnataka Police Academy in Mysuru, where he had shown great promise and dedication to his duties.
The young officer’s untimely demise is a reminder of the fleeting nature of life, cutting short a promising career that had just begun.
