Srinagar,  He had started his mission to cycle 2,000 km from Mumbai to meet his ailing father in Rajouri in J&K when the CRPF intervened.

When 30-year old Arif, who works as a watchman in Mumbai, heard that his father had a brain stroke on April 1, he decided to go and meet him come what may.

But amid a lockdown with no transport, it was virtually impossible to cover 2,000 km from Mumbai to Rajouri. That is when Arif decided to take the things on to himself.

He set off on his cycle and left for Rajouri. As the news spread, the CRPF helpline ‘Madadgar' swung into action. They airlifted Wazir Hussain from Rajouri to a Jammu hospital and intercepted Arif who had already covered a few hundred kms and put him on a bus for his onward journey.

Speaking to IANS from his bus near Jodhpur, Arif said he was thankful to the CRPF during his hard times.

"My father got an attack in Rajouri. I was sleeping when I saw him in my dream and I called my family members. I don't have any siblings, so I set out on my cycle to meet him," Arif said, adding: "The CRPF has really come to our rescue in our moment of crisis and we are thankful to them."

The CRPF airlifted his father to a hospital in Jammu and got in touch with Arif to put him on a bus for his onward journey to meet with his father.

Speaking to IANS, CRPF ADG Zulfikhar Hassan said that Wazir Hassan was airlifted from Rajouri to Jammu by the CRPF and is now being sent to PGI Chandigarh for advanced treatment.

"We sent a team to his house 8 km from Rajouri and evacuated his father and took him to the district hospital. Next morning tests were conducted and it was concluded that he had to be shifted to Jammu and since no ambulances were available, we airlifted him to GMC Jammu. He has now been referred to PGI Chandigarh and we will be making the necessary arrangements. Arif is being reunited with his father, thanks to the timely intervention of the CRPF, but in the times of lockdown there would be many like Arif in need of help and assistance," Hassan said.