IPS officer’s death: Kin demand CBI probe

FAMILY members and relatives of 2009-batch IPS officer N Harish, who was found dead at an officers’ mess in Chennai on Thursday, blocked the Bengaluru-Chennai highway at the Chikkanahalli gate near his native Gerupura village Friday evening, demanding a CBI probe into the death. They blocked traffic for nearly 30 minutes.

Harish, who was serving as an assistant superintendent of police in the directorate of vigilance and anti corruption in Chennai, is suspected to have committed suicide at the officers’ mess in the Egmore region of Chennai. Police said more than 300 people from the IPS officer’s village and surrounding villages gathered on the national highway around 6.30 pm and staged a protest. The protesters demanded that Harish’s name should not be tarnished until the truth behind his death is revealed by an investigation.

The officer was scheduled to get married in a month’s time and preparations for the marriage had begun, his friends said.

A 2009 batch IAS officer, Dr M V Venkatesh, who is the Deputy Commissioner in Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka, said, “Harish was good at cultural programmes. He performed folk dances of Karnataka at a cultural event during our foundation course at Mussoorie. He was a close friend of mine.” He was also interested in photography and trekking, he said.