From driver’s seat to courtroom dreams; Ashok Bhadrige becomes lawyer at 42

Ashok Bhadrige has proven that no matter where you start or how old you are a dream is never out of reach For over two decades he carried a single powerful ambition in his heart to become a lawyer His journey from a simple service boy for an LIC agent to Bombay High Court driver and then a lawyer wasnt just a job it was a relentless climb against every obstacle life threw at himAt the age of 42 Ashok finally earned his law degree recently an incredible victory and a classic example of his relentless hard work and determination mdasha powerful reminder that itrsquos never too late to rewrite onersquos storySecuring High Court postBorn in Mumbai and having roots connected to Ale village in Junnar taluka Pune district Ashokrsquos early life was marked by the necessity of work His parents Vilas65 and Sindhu63 now reside with him and his family in the state government quarters in Tilak Nagar Mumbai After his schooling at Diamond Jubilee School for Boys Mazagaon in English medium his career began in as supporting role with an LIC agent in Sion Koliwada where he rose from a service boy to a service manager By 20072008 he was earning a salary of around Rs 5000 per month with an additional Rs 4000 in incentivesHowever financial stability was hard to come by and his employment was often temporary In 2003 he began working on a contract basis as a driver for MTNL His official Bombay High Court journey began with an advertisement in 2008 leading to an ad hoc position in 2009 Initially his work was erratic being hired for only ten days at a time resulting in a fluctuating and low monthly salary of about Rs 8000 It was in 2012 after a probationary period of two years that he secured a permanent post as a driver with a starting salary of approximately Rs 14000 Today as a driver for the High Court his monthly earnings total around R85000 approximate gross salary after HRA deduction is Rs 102 lakh mdash a solid foundation for his family including his wife Yogita 37 a tuition class teacher and their two daughters Antra9 and Yasasvi6Decadelong struggleDespite securing a government job Ashokrsquos most formidable challenge lay in securing a graduate degree He was enrolled in the B Com program at Siddharth College of Arts Science and Commerce but his graduation remained pending for a gruelling ten years from 2006 to 2016 He encountered persistent difficulties particularly failing in three subjects mdash Accounts paper 1 2 and 3 mdash compounded by a critical syllabus change in 2009 Even after reenrolling in 20122013 at Mumbai University he continued to struggle failing in the management group examination Ashok describes giving almost twenty attempts to clear the papers before finally achieving his B Com degree in June 2016Ashok Bhadrige secured a job as a permanent Bombay High Court driver in 2012 PICSBY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTThis Herculean effort however was immediately overshadowed by a heartbreaking setback Ashok who belonged to a reserved category needed a minimum of 40 per cent aggregate marks to be eligible for MahaCET the entrance exam for the 3year LLB program Despite his monumental effort he had only secured 36 per cent falling short of the criterion by a four percentage points This seemingly insurmountable barrier emerged just as the Common Entrance Test CET system was introduced in 2016 preventing him from applying for the 3year LLB program5yr LLB triumphUndeterred by the crushing disappointment Ashok refused to let the 4 per cent deficiency define his dream He realised a different route was available he could apply for the 5year LLB program based on his Higher Secondary Certificate HSC marks where he had scored 49 per cent which he had cleared in June 2002 In 2019 seizing this opportunity he successfully appeared for the CET and secured admission to law schoolAccording to Ashok he enrolled at Chembur Karnataka College of Law and pursued his studies while continuing his demanding job as a High Court driver His work environment became an unexpected source of inspiration He was working with Bombay High Court Justice Riyaz Chagla and on one occasion drove the judge and the judgersquos late father senior counsel Iqbal Chagla to the inauguration of the same law college in the year 2018 He saw this as a privilege further motivating him to dedicate himself to his further studiesAshokrsquos five years of relentless hard work juggling duties at home and work while maintaining a rigorous academic schedule finally culminated in success He cleared all ten semesters and every paper without a single backlogAdding a personal touch to his story he notes that his sister Rupali who studied law at a private college in Vikhroli has already cleared the AIBE All India Bar Examination and is currently practising she was one of his inspirations during his law studies Ashok saidAshok Bhadrige third from right in a picture taken a few months ago during CJI BR Gavairsquos visitThe road aheadHaving secured his LLB degree Ashok is now actively pursuing the next stage of his legal career He has taken the LLM CET conducted recently by the Department of Law University of Mumbai by scoring 54 marks and is keen to enrol for his specialised subject in Constitutional Law or potentially Criminal Law if his scores guide him there He currently serves as the driver for the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court Shree Chandrashekhar and he hasnrsquot yet mentioned to him that he has passed the law course Ashok saidAshokrsquos primary focus is to secure his provisional lsquosanadrsquo and eventually clear the AIBE which will allow him to practice He faces a significant professional decision mdash to continue with his current highpaying government post would need to be surrendered to practice lawHigh Court officials and retired judges have advised him to reconsider his legal practice They caution that pursuing it would likely mean giving up his government job and surrendering his residential quarters forcing a return to his earlier house in Ulhasnagar Furthermore he would face an initial few years without earnings if he started his legal practice Instead since he is already a Class III state government employee they recommend he pursue internal Class I postings within the High Court which Ashok is now keen to take up along with his further legal studiesldquoI have not decided yet but I cannot afford to give up on my quarters and childrenrsquos education This job at present is very crucial for me I may appear for my AIBE examination scheduled for next month November 30 and on getting my certificate to practice I may decide on surrendering my sanadrdquo said AshoklsquoCJI patted my backrsquoldquoI was fortunate to have served as the onduty driver for Justice BR Gavai for nearly a year and a half starting in 2011rdquo said Ashok This was before he became the present Chief Justice of India CJIrdquo I would travel from Ulhasnagar to the government quarters near Mantralaya where the judges resided I used to leave my house by 630 am for a 9 am duty which would often end by 11 pm and I would reach home around 1 amrdquo he addedldquoI had the opportunity to run into the CJI a few months ago when was at the Bombay High Court soon after he had taken oath While leaving he recognised me He called me by my name and I informed him of my passing my law examination The CJI patted my back and said lsquomain khush hu ke tum law graduate huersquo Irsquom happy that yoursquore now a law graduaterdquoldquoThe High Court has 85 drivers of which around 15 drivers are graduates and there are three law graduates including merdquo said AshokPrerequisite for successAshokrsquos story is a clear shining example that dedication transcends age status and early failures It is a powerful reminder that with enough perseverance and a willingness to explore different avenues even the most challenging goals are achievableldquoFrom High Court driver to a law graduate Ashok Bhadrigersquos journey is truly inspirational Despite challenging circumstances his unwavering determination to complete his LLB is a testament to the power of education His success highlights how good education serves as a gateway to opportunities that enhance earning potential and contribute to a better quality of liferdquo said Advocate Dhanpal Jain former visiting faculty at Chembur Karnataka Law College