PATNA: Remember Jyoti Kumari? The girl had cycled from Haryana’s Gurugram to Bihar’s Darbhanga — pedalling nearly 1,200km — carrying her ailing father Mohan Paswan. More bad news from her. Over a year after her extraordinary feat, the father of the bicycle girl died after a severe cardiac arrest on Monday at his home.
On May 18 last year, Jyoti Kumari (15) took her father all the way home during the lockdown following the Covid pandemic.Reports said a few days after Mohan Paswan performed the last rites of his uncle, he developed a severe chest pain and collapsed.
“I massaged his chest (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) when he complained of pain. But he could not survive,” Jyoti told the media, weeping inconsolably at her home at Sirhulli village under Singhbara panchayat of Darbhanga.
Jyoti’s name came into prominence for her spirit and determination to bring her father home in the absence of any transport when the lockdown was in force.
For the media, she became the ‘cycle girl’ and won global appreciation. Confirming the death of Jyoti’s father, DM Darbhanga Dr SM Tyagrajan said that Jyoti’s father suffered a severe cardiac arrest.
“The administration joined the family in sharing their grief and reassuring the girl. Senior district officials were present to console the family at Singhabara block”, said the DM.
Due assistance will be provided to the bereaved family, he added. Jyoti’s younger brother Himanshu lit the pyre at the cremation ground. Their father was the sole bread earner for the family. Jyoti has two brothers and three sisters; one of them married.
Jyoti was praised by the daughter of former US President Donald Trump, Ivanka. She was among 32 children who were recently conferred with the Pradhan Mantri Bal Puraskar. It consisted of Rs 1 lakh in cash.