JAMMU: Arif, who started a 2,100-km cycle journey from Mumbai to meet his ailing father in Jammu, on Tuesday finally met him in Chandigarh, with personnel of the CRPF's 'madadgaar' helpline assisting him through five states during the lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.
The man, who works as a watchman in the financial capital of the country was seen caressing the head of his 60-year-old father, Wazir Hussain at PGI, Chandigarh, where the CRPF got him admitted after airlifting him on Sunday from a remote village in Rajouri along the India-Pakistan Line of Control (LoC).
The story of Arif's sheer determination and good samaritan CRPF began last week when the paramilitary force got to know from a media report that the man had started on a borrowed bicycle from Mumbai on April 2 to meet his father who suffered a massive stroke a day before.
CRPF's Kashmir-based helpline 'madadgaar' immediately got into action and got help by way of food and other essentials for Arif on Sunday, who had reached Vadodara in Gujarat by then.
"Arif's father was admitted to PGI Chandigarh on Monday and as soon as his procedural medical tests are over, he will undergo a surgery for his heart ailment.
We are happy that Arif will be by his side during this time," a senior Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer said.
Arif was put on a truck by the CRPF from Vadodara and later he was assisted by the local force units in Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and Ludhiana (Punjab) on the route.
CRPF Special Director General (JK zone) Zulfiquar Hasan had told PTI on Sunday that they had asked Arif "to stay at their base in Vadodara due to the lockdown restrictions with an assurance that the madadgaar will take care of his fathe".
He, however, insisted to be along side his father at this sensitive time and hence, the madadgaar then worked upon the logistics to ensure this meeting, he had said.
The helpline on Tuesday also posted a video on its official Twitter handle of the emotional father-son meeting at the Chandigarh hospital with a message: "for any assistance 24X7 call @CRPFmadadgaar on 14411."