MANGALORE/BANGALORE: The high and mighty don't worry John Michael D'Cunha, particularly CMs. If Uma Bharti, former MP CM learnt this in October 2004 in the Hubli Idgah Maidan case, Jayalalithaa did so on Saturday.

D'Cunha was principal district and sessions judge at Dharwad in Bharti's case and the special judge who convicted the TN CM. The HC appointed him special judge to try the DA case against Jayalalithaa on October 29, 2012.

D'Cunha is an alumnus of Sri Dharmasthala Manjunateshwara Law College, Mangalore. Amrith Kini, his erstwhile partner at MANU Advocates, says he's no-nonsense, focused and upright. After passing out in 1984, D'Cunha started an independent practice before joining hands with Kini, MP Nornoha and SK Ullal in 1995. Kini told STOI D'Cunha "showed his inclination to be in the judiciary even when he practised and has proved himself ever since he joined as a district judge in Dharwad," he said.

Selected to the post of district judge in 2002, he served in Dharwad, Bellary and Bangalore. He shot into prominence with his upright stand when he threatened special public prosecutor Bhawani Singh, who appeared for the prosecution in the Jayalalithaa case, with a fine of Rs 60,000 per day for delaying the trial in 2013. Singh took over after B V Acharya resigned his post as the SPP in August 2012.