An IPS officer reportedly lost his life on Monday after the tire of his police vehicle allegedly burst and lost control near Kittane in Hassan taluk. He was en route to his first posting in Hassan district, police said. Reports suggested that the driver lost control of the vehicle, which crashed into a house and a tree along the roadside.The officer identified as Harsh Bardhan, a 2023-batch IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre, hailed from Madhya Pradesh, reports stated. He received immediate medical attention but succumbed to severe head injuries later at the hospital. The driver Manjegowda, sustained minor injuries in the accident.
Visuals from the spot showed heavily mangled remains of the police vehicle.Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered condolences to his family and said "this should not have happened when years of hard work were paying off". "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 posted in Kannada on X."I pray to God that Harsh Bardhan's soul rests in peace. My condolences to the family," Mr Siddaramaiah added.Sadananda Gowda, the former chief minister of Karnataka, called it a "tragic loss". According to reports, he had recently completed his four-week training at the Karnataka Police Academy in Mysuru.