Bengaluru: Senior IPS Officer from the State K. Madhukar Shetty (47) passed away at a private hospital in Hyderabad on Friday night following brief illness.

He was hospitalised over a week ago for suspected H1N1 infection-induced Pneumonia. He underwent surgery at the Hyderabad hospital on Wednesday and was on life support. He passed away at about 8.30 pm.

He was serving as Deputy Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy at Hyderabad. Madhukar Shetty was the son of renowned journalist late Vaddarse Raghuram Shetty who started Kannada newspaper ‘Mungaru’ in the 1980s.

Hailing from Udupi, the 1999 batch IPS Officer (Karnataka Cadre) served as ASP in Bengaluru Rural District, as Chamarajanagar SP, Chikkamagalur SP and as SP of Special Task Force during the last phase of anti-Veerappan operations.

Known as an upright officer, he played a major role in Karnataka Lokayukta’s inquiry into the Ballari mining scam as Lokayukta SP. He later took a five-year sabbatical and went to the US to study further.

Madhukar Shetty had recently returned to service and was serving as the Deputy Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National  Police Academy at Hyderabad.