How CRPF Units Across 5 States Coordinated to Send Mumbai Man Home to His Ailing Father in J&K

After his father suffered a cardiac stroke on April 1 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, Arif, who works as a watchman in Mumbai, found himself helpless in the face of the nationwide lockdown. Desperate to be by his father side but with no means of transport, a distraught Arif left for Rajouri on a bicycle on April 2.

His feet 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 and also air lifted his ailing father to Jammu for treatment.

"Arif’s father has been airlifted to GMC Jammu by CRPF for better treatment. The 102 battalion of RAF CRPF near Vadodara Gujarat provided Arif with food assistance and other items along with sanitisers, masks etc," the CRPF said after its personnel met Arif on Sunday afternoon.

The CRPF's Jammu team used the Telemedicine scheme — Tel Me —to assess the health of Arif's father who had suffered a stroke last week. "The doctors after diagnosis recommended immediate hospitalisation and doing Contrast CT scan/ MRI and regular monitoring of the BP. The team of 72 Bn shifted Wazir Hussain to the hospital," CRPF said in a statement. After the test reports, a decision was taken to air lift Wazir Hussain to Jammu for specialised medical care.

The Gujarat and Rajasthan Officials are also coordinating to help Arif. The officials said they have arranged for Arif to be transported till Jodhpur from where a second team will arrange for his onward journey.

"I am crossing Mehsana in Gujarat now," Arif told CNN News18 late on Sunday evening. After CNN News18 highlighted the plight of the 36-year-old watchman, the CRPF, under its ‘Madadgar’ scheme, swung into action. "Our team has met him in Vadodara. His feet are covered in blisters. He can't cycle anymore. We are assisting him," Zulfikar Hasan, Special DG, CRPF, told CNN-News18.

Hasan spoke to his IPS batchmates in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and arranged for a curfew pass for Arif. The officials first tried to dissuade him from travelling further by pointing out that medical aid is being provided to his father Wazir Hussain, but Arif was insistent. "I spoke to my family. My father is slightly better. I am really thankful to everyone who has helped me. All I now want is to reach my father at the earliest," Arif told CNN-News18.

"I don't care about anything else. All I want is to see my father once," Arif said.

He is expected to reach Jammu by Tuesday after which he may be put in quarantine as per the state's protocol on coronavirus. It is only after the go ahead from doctors that he is likely to be allowed to travel to his village Panjgrain, situated on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district.