Former top cop requests Anand Mahindra to investigate safety standards of Bolero

The death of 26-year-old probationary IPS officer Harsh Bardhan in a road accident in Karnataka left many people in shock as the tragic incident took away a precious young life. He was travelling in a Mahindra Bolero, and the vehicle reportedly experienced a tire burst that led to the fatal accident. Former Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao requested Mahindra group chairman Anand Mahindra to investigate the safety of Bolero vehicles, which are used by many police and government officials.
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In an X post, Rao wrote, “Police movements on the road are always stressful . The tragic death of a young IPS Officer who was all set to start his career is last straw on camel’s back. Indian Police heavily relies on Mahindra Jeeps. Over the years, the Bolero has improved but falls short of what an Emergency Response Vehicle should be.”

Rao further tagged Anand Mahindra and flagged issues with the vehicles which the junior police officers use. “@anandmahindra should personally have the Karnataka Bolero Accident professionally investigated by his OEM Team. Since senior officers don’t travel by this vehicle, there is poor safety standards while purchasing them for use of Junior Officers. No Seat belts warning, No Air bags, poor legroom, no warning of anti-collision, high scope of secondary injuries due to metal protrusions, no air conditioning, poor seating adjustment etc,” he wrote further.
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Rao said that these Boleros are used to escort high-end vehicles at top speed, which is leading safety standards to take a back seat. He further wrote, “These vehicles are used for pilot and escort for Toyota, Benz, BMW or VIPs at speeds of over 120 kmph.”
The young police officer was on his way to Hassan district to assume his duties as a probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police in Holenarasipur of Hassan district on Sunday evening when the accident happened. Though he was rushed to the hospital, he succumbed to severe head injuries. The driver, identified as Manjegowda, sustained minor injuries in the crash. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and top police officials paid condolences to the family of Harsh Bardhan.

Mahindra group chairman, Anand Mahindra, who is very active on social media has been trending on Google trends. Over 1k searches were recorded in last two hours about the Indian billionaire.