Sr advocate, fmr state minister n grandson of founder of Garhwal Rifles Balbhadra Singh, Jagmohan Singh Negi dies in Dehradun

A veteran advocate based at Kotdwar, a senior Congress leader carrying behind an excellent reputation, a former state minister of Uttarakhand and grandson of Laat Sahib Balbhadra Singh on who’s request the then Viceroy of India ordered for establishment of Garhwal Rifles with its headquarters at Lansdowne, Garhwal Jagmohan Singh Negi today succumbed to a prolonged illness. The news of his passing away send shock waves all over Kotdwar and Pauri Garhwal district. According to the news from his family sources Jagmohan Singh breathed his last at Max hospital in Dehradun where he was admitted with certain complications. Advocate Jagmohan Singh was suffering for ailments from the last few months at Kotdwar. He was shifted to Max hospital, Dehradun but despite the best efforts of the doctors he could not be saved.

Advocate n senior Congressman who had also been the Pauri Garhwal district co-operative bank chairman n president of Bar Council including holding state ministerial rank as the Vice chairman of law Commission Jagmohan Singh Negi was the grandson of Subedar Laat Sahib Balbhadra Singh Negi who established Royal Garhwal Rifles with its headquarters at Lansdowne in the year 1887. The significant title of Sardar Bahadur was bestowed on him by the then British on being promoted as SUBEDAR MAJOR. When Lord Major became the Commander in chief and then Field Marshal before 1987 he deputed SM Balbhadra Singh as his ADC and honoured him with the title of ” Last Subedar”. The British were so happy with Balbhadra Singh that they rewarded 300 acres of land to him at Kotdwar, which is today a flourishing township known as Balbhadrapur.

After passing his law degree from Lucknow, advocate Jagmohan Singh pursued his law practice at Kotdwar n became quite popular among his clients. A down to earth, soft spoken and affable natured Congressman n veteran advocate Jagmohan Singh Rawat also contested as the Congress candidate from Lansdowne, Kotdwar earlier. He joined Congress after becoming quite popular in Pauri Garhwal district belonging to a prestigious family.

He later on commenced working in the cooperative field n was elected it’s district president including chief of the Bar association. His reputation as a well known advocate at Kotdwar, Pauri Garhwal enhanced his practice among his clients n became popular among well known advocates. He continued to be active in the state politics as a senior Congressman n in 2014, fourteen year after the formation of separate state he was finally made the chairman of law Commission of Uttarakhand, a state ministerial rank. The sad demise of senior advocate Jagmohan Singh Rawat has left a huge void in the legal n political fraternity difficult to be filled. In Kotdwar, Pauri Garhwal just two days after the death of a former education minister of Uttarakhand Narendra Singh Bhandari who was also his close relative living with his son at Kotdwar, Jagmohan Singh Negi’s death too is an end of an era.