Ahmedabad, June 1: From being judged, Hemant Modi could soon be judging others.

Modi, 32, lodged in jail and being tried for murder, has cleared the written examination for the post of judicial magistrate, first class. He is now eagerly waiting for bail so he can appear in the interview on June 5, which could make him a judge in a lower court.

Modi, a lawyer, and elder brother Sachin are accused of murdering a Naroda-based real estate agent, Narendra, on June 15, 2005, over a property dispute. They are being tried at the city sessions court, where Modi used to practise till he was jailed in 2005.

The young man from Naranpura, Ahmedabad, sat the written examination in January this year after receiving 15 days’ bail from Gujarat High Court. He then returned to his cell at the Sabarmati Central Jail.

May 11 brought the news that he was among the 411 successful candidates. When the interview call followed, Modi applied for interim bail from the sessions court.

According to senior high court lawyer Bhushan Oza, there is no reason for the court not to grant Modi bail to appear in the interview.

And if he is selected, he may apply for bail to join his posting and the court would have to consider his plea, unless there is fear he might tamper with the evidence in his own case or intimidate witnesses.

But Oza added that Modi might still not be appointed. “The legal department is likely to withhold his appointment till his case is speeded up and he is acquitted. If he is convicted, he gets disqualified.”

Gujarat High Court registrar P.P. Bhatt said more or less the same thing.

“Unless the charges are proved and he is convicted, the accused will be given an opportunity. And if he is selected, a police verification process will start before his new posting. At this stage, the legal department will come into the picture. It will consider everything — his background and the criminal charge.”

Modi’s friends said he was a hardworking and intelligent young man, with a flair for acting. He has been a successful stage performer and has appeared on Doordarshan several times.

Jail sources said Modi used to study 10 hours a day. He is working harder now for the interview, hoping it would change his life.