Judges, advocates bid farewell to Justice Bedi

A veil of solemnity enveloped the electric crematorium in Sector 25 here as a large number of people gathered there to bid farewell to Justice Harjit Singh Bedi, a towering figure whose legacy transcended the judicial realm. Judges, both sitting and retired, members of the Bar, and High Court staff – who had once served under him – stood shoulder to shoulder, their grief reflected in solemn faces.

Among those present were Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, a number of sitting judges, a former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Kuldeep Singh; and a former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, Justice SS Sodhi. The air was heavy with emotion as heartfelt tributes poured in for a jurist revered for his intellect, empathy and integrity.

The gathering spilled outside the crematorium, with mourners standing silently in rows, their reverence palpable. Chief Justice Nagu, along with other senior mourners, embraced Justice Bedi’s son, Justice Jasjit Singh Bedi, offering words of comfort.

Justice Jasjit Singh Bedi’s wife, Shruti Bedi, Director and Professor, UILS, Panjab University, and their relative, Justice Nidhi Gupta, were also consoled by those paying homage.

The funeral united the legal fraternity in honouring a life devoted to justice, fairness and humanity. Justice Bedi was remembered not just for his landmark judgments but for his impeccable manners and a rare blend of compassion and rigor that defined his judicial philosophy.

He was educated at Bishop Cotton School in Shimla. As chairperson of high-profile probes, including Gujarat’s alleged fake encounters, Justice Bedi epitomised fairness. His colleagues fondly called him a “gentleman judge.”

They mourned not just the loss of a jurist but of a man whose humility touched everyone he met.