Meet Versha Verma, Lucknow-based judo player and poet who cremates unclaimed bodies for free

Versha Verma, a Lucknow-based social worker, runs a non-profit organisation, Ek Koshi Aisi Bhi. She rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for her relentless support to families in transporting remains from hospitals to cremation grounds. She risked her own life and assisted families to perform the last rites. 

When Versha Verma ferried bodies of COVID-19 victims to graveyards for free in Lucknow

As Lucknow battled the second wave of COVID-19, Versha stepped up to provide a free vehicle service for the bodies of COVID-19 victims in the city. Not only did she provide free carriage service, but she also assisted the kin of the deceased even to the cremation ground. She was regularly seen in a PPE kit outside the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Lucknow, ready for countless trips to the crematorium. She offered dignified last rites to 5,600 unclaimed bodies and provided free ambulance services to numerous people who were unable to afford the charges.

Versha Verma’s philanthropic initiatives

Pursuing her philanthropic passion, Versha started ‘Ek Koshish Aisi Bhi’ in Lucknow in 2015, which is registered with the Government of Uttar Pradesh under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It caters and renders services extensively throughout Uttar Pradesh. As a social worker, she also organises blood donation camps, sponsors education for underprivileged children. spreads awareness on postnatal care, distributes ration kits to cancer patients, and empowers women. 

Versha Verma’s personal life

Born in Lucknow on December 20, 1978, into a business-class family, her father is a goldsmith, and her mother is a housewife. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and a Master’s degree in English. Her pillars of support include her husband, who is an Executive Engineer in the Public Works Department, and a young daughter who is studying abroad. She is also a national-level medalist in Judo and has authored many books. At the tender age of 14, she used to run errands for patients and their attendants at Lucknow’s KGMU.

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