NEW DELHI - Family of late the Justice J S Verma has refused to accept the Padma Bhushan award conferred on him by the government posthumously, saying accepting it would be against his principles as he never “hankered” for any such honor. In a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee, Verma’s wife Pushpa said, “The greatest honor to him remains how he is held in the hearts and minds of his fellow countrymen:
as a true friend not just to women or the youth, but to those most in need of one...” “He always and strictly, put India first before any personal profit or gain. He will always be remembered as one of India’s most pre-eminent jurists and with a legacy of alleviating substantive injustice through the forging of globally acclaimed new legal tools,” the letter dated Jan. 29 said.
The family also indicated in the letter that they did not get any official communication about the award, claiming they only came to know about it through media reports. Shubra Verma, daughter of Justice Verma.
“Some officials from the Home Ministry visited my father’s hometown in Satna in Madhya Pradesh early this month and had enquired about him. When I sought to know the reason for the enquiry, he said father’s name has been nominated for Padma Vibhushan. Even someone from the Home Ministry visited our house here and had said the same thing,” Shubra said. Verma, who had headed the government committee to frame stricter laws and suggested legal reforms to deal with sexual assault cases in the wake of the Dec. 16 Delhi gangrape case, died in April 22 last year following multiple organ failure. (PTI)
The family also indicated in the letter that they did not get any official communication about the award, claiming they only came to know about it through media reports. Shubra Verma, daughter of Justice Verma.
“Some officials from the Home Ministry visited my father’s hometown in Satna in Madhya Pradesh early this month and had enquired about him. When I sought to know the reason for the enquiry, he said father’s name has been nominated for Padma Vibhushan. Even someone from the Home Ministry visited our house here and had said the same thing,” Shubra said. Verma, who had headed the government committee to frame stricter laws and suggested legal reforms to deal with sexual assault cases in the wake of the Dec. 16 Delhi gangrape case, died in April 22 last year following multiple organ failure. (PTI)