Panel to consider conferring Padma Vibhushan on Justice Verma

“He never hankered or lobbied for any acclaim, reward or favour.... We do not want to accept what we know justice Verma himself would not have accepted,” the letter dated January 29 said.

Justice Verma's daughter Shubra had said in early January that some officials from the Home Ministry had visited Verma's hometown Satna in Madhya Pradesh and enquired about him.  

“Some officials from the Home Ministry visited my father's hometown in Satna in Madhya Pradesh early this month (January) 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 had 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 December 16 Delhi gangrape case, died on April 22 last year following multiple organ failure.