A judge who was unfazed by Dera clout

One man who stood his ground against all the odds is CBI special judge Jagdeep Singh.

The judge exhibited exemplary courage by refusing to buckle under pressure the “godman” intended to induce by flexing his muscles through lakhs of his followers who hit the streets and created mayhem.

Singh was a practising lawyer at the Punjab and Haryana High Court before becoming a judge after joining the Haryana judicial services in 2012.

He first hogged the limelight in September 2016 when he saved the lives of two persons who were badly injured in a road accident. He dialled 102 and asked the emergency service personnel to hurry up and move the victims to a hospital in Jind, Haryana.

The ambulance operator gave a shocking reply. “Ambulance 'udd ke aaegi kya'? (Will the ambulance come flying?)”, the operator said.

Singh quickly realized it was pointless to wait any longer for the ambulance and rushed the injured to the hospital with the help of some passersby.

The judge then brought the entire episode to the notice of the chief medical officer. The legal fraternity holds Singh in high regard, describing him as a competent and upright judge. He was designated as a special judge of the CBI court last year.

It's no secret that the Haryana BJP has a soft corner for the Dera. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his Cabinet colleagues, including Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma and Health Minister Anil Vij, have been visiting Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

Despite the bonhomie between the ruling political class and the Dera chief, the judge remained unfazed.