Fighting Against All Odds, This Man Becomes Rajasthan’s First Visually Impaired Judge

At the age of 22, Brahmananda Sharma lost his eyesight following glaucoma. But he did not think of giving up his dream. He always wanted to be a judge. He knocked many doors for help. Some of them refused, but his parents always stood with him. Now, at the age of 31, Sharma is the first visually impaired judge of Rajasthan. His story is an example of what a person can achieve with sheer perseverance and hard work.

Hailing from Bhilwara in Rajasthan, Brahmananda Sharma completed his schooling in a government school in his native place. In 2013, he appeared for the Rajasthan judicial services examination and cleared it in the first attempt and secured 83rd rank. He then went for a training for one year and joined in the service in 2016. The training programme was recommended by Rajasthan High Court. Sharma’s first posting was in Chittorgarh and then he was transferred to Sarwar. Instead of the written notes, he listens to the recorded proceedings.

Speaking about his journey, Sharma told The Times of India: “I even approached a coaching centre but they refused to help me. It is my family which helped me all through. My wife, who is a teacher at a government school, read out the books and we maintained a recording of the readings, which I listened to frequently.”

Sharma told The Times of India that he can recognise the advocates coming to the court by their footsteps. “Many times, I sense that advocates and their clients are sceptical and even wonder if a visually impaired man can ensure justice. They seem to forget that even the eyes of the woman of justice are covered. I do justice weighing the facts and merits of a case, just the way it should be,” he told The Times of India.

Sharma listens to the cases by using an e-speak device which is attached to a computer. It converts and records the notes made by the reader into speech. “When an advocate approaches my court with a petition, I ask him to read the plaint as well as the attached documents. His voice is enough for me to judge his authenticity,” he said. He listens to the recorded statements by the witnesses and advocates several times and makes sure that he does not miss anything.

“The use of technology should be increased in the judicial system so that people who are illiterate can also understand what actually is being done by the court. It will also bring transparency as the illiterate witnesses can later hear their statements given to the court,” he added.

Through his determination and hard work, Brahmananda Sharma has proven that nothing can stop a person from achieving their dream. His story conveys the message that legal profession is not a far away dream for the visually impaired aspirants. The Logical Indian congratulates Brahmanada Sharma for fighting all odds to achieve his dream.