AMRITSAR: Seventeen years ago, an old man requested Jagdeep Singh for a photograph. Those were days much before the selfie craze had swept India. Private and quiet, Jagdeep would want to be left alone. But for someone towering over most people at 7 ft 6 inches, that was a luxury which never came his way."The Sikh gentleman told me something which I'll never forget," said Jagdeep. "And I regret to this day why I didn't allow his small wish. He said, ' Tuhadi height tuhadi nahi, parmatma da tohfa hai. Agar tussi kissay nu khush kar sakdae ho tae usno na karo (Your height is not yours, but a gift from God. If you can make someone happy, never say no to that person)'." Since then, Jagdeep, perhaps India's tallest policeman, has never refused a photo request.He has learnt to live with his height and over the years begun to see people milling around him not as an irritant. "I never say 'no' to anyone even if I am busy. That incident also made me humble." And immensely popular.But his celebrity aside — being so tall and a serving cop — things aren’t always easy or convenient for Jagdeep. The first thing he looks for while entering a police station or office is a sturdy chair. The 35-year-old head constable with Punjab Armed Police weighs 190kg. “I place the chair near a wall for support and then sit. Otherwise it will break and embarrass everyone,” he said.Jagdeep is usually posted on security duty at sensitive installations like bridges, and does not work from a particular police station. His job means he is constantly on the move while on duty, but he can’t use police vehicles to travel in: they are too small for him. Instead, he uses his own modified Mahindra Bolero. “It becomes expensive since I have to spend for fuel from my own pocket but there is no other option,” Jagdeep said.Everyday life has its own set of difficulties for the policeman. He needs to get his clothes and uniform stitched bespoke, and struggles to find footwear. He uses imported US size 20 shoes. And food. He needs quite a bit of it for his enormous frame. “When I was young, I would eat about two dozen eggs with salad, oats, fruits and nearly eight litres of milk every day. But now my diet is smaller,” he said. The policeman gets milk and vegetables from his own farm and on an average spends Rs 5,000 a month on food, which he says he can afford.Jagdeep recently returned from the US after participating in America’s Got Talent show in Los Angeles. Married with a 10-year-old daughter, he had a hard time, he said, finding a bride. Finally, he met Sukhbir Kaur, who is 5 feet and 11inches tall.Another tall cop, this one in Barnala, understands Jagdeep’s situation only too well. Punjab Police inspector Rajpal Singh is 7 ft and weighs 160 kg. An awkward situation for him arose earlier this month when Barnala SSP Harjit Singh and DSP Jasbir Singh had to stretch on their toes to put the promotional badge on his shoulders. But that hasn’t come in the way of his work. “Rajpal is one of the most prominent faces of Barnala police. And he is discharging his duty with devotion,” the SSP told TOI.The families, too, are happy. “I like my husband’s celebrity status,” said Sukhbir Kaur. “The only problem is when we go out everyone wants to strike a pose with him and me. This leaves out our daughter Jashandeep.”

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