Jammu, April 6: With India under lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) across five states co-ordinated to help Arif who had set out his distraught journey from Mumbai to Rajouri, Jammu on a bicycle to meet his ailing father.

 

 

 

Due to the lockdown, Arif had found himself helpless when he came to know that his father suffered a massive stroke on April 1. So, he decided to travel by bicycle covering a distance of 2,100 km from Mumbai to Rajouri on April 2 to meet his ailing father. Little did he know that CRPF who is always on the frontline will come to complete this journey of his.

 

 

His feet were covered in blisters due to continuous cycling for four days, he finally breathed a sigh of relief on Sunday when CRPF units across five states coordinated to get him into a vehicle. On the other hand, his father Wazir Hussain on Sunday was airlifted from the Panjgrain village on a special chopper after the CRPF's Kashmir-based 'madadgaar' helpline came into action.

 

CRPF was informed by a media outlet about Arif's miserable condition. The helpline immediately got into action, called up Arif and got logistics arranged through CRPF establishments spread across five states. On Sunday, the CRPF unit in Gujarat provided him the lunch, Rs 2,000 cash, sanitizer, masks and some dry fruits at Vadodara.

 

"Our team has met him in Vadodara. His feet are covered in blisters. He can't cycle anymore. We are assisting him. We asked him to stay out at our base due to the lockdown restrictions with an assurance that we will take care of his father," said the CRPF Special Director General (JK zone) Zulfiquar Hasan.

 

A special chopper was sent to Rajouri from where his father was airlifted and admitted to a government medical college in Jammu. He was initially admitted to the Rajouri district hospital with the help of its troops posted about 15 km from his village in but as he required better medical care, CRPF decided to shift him quickly to Jammu.

 

"The madadgaar will do whatever it takes to help more such Arif''s in the future too," Hasan further said. Today, CRPF reported, "Arif’s father has been referred to PGI Chandigarh & is being taken there for further treatment by CRPF. Dr. Saqib Khan who has been monitoring the whole case through Madadgaar ‘the telemedicine' scheme.

 

Arif is expected to reach Jammu by Tuesday after which he may be put in quarantine as per the state's protocol on coronavirus. It was reported on Sunday late evening that he had reached to Jodhpur with the help of a CRPF unit there.