A Pakistani family cut short its Mumbai trip after being refused accommodation by several hotels in the city following which they spent the night on a pavement.
The Pakistani family of around five members arrived in Mumbai to visit the Haji Ali shrine.
“After being with our relatives in Jodhpur for over a week, we decided to visit the Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai for ziyarat (prayers). We arrived in Mumbai on the morning of 14 October, went to the shrine and returned from there after prayers,” said Noor Banu, who had come to India with her brother Inayat Ali (55), nephew Shakeel Ahmed, two other women and a seven-year-old boy.
Their ordeal began soon as they were refused accommodation by several lodges and hotels which they approached in South Mumbai.
“The only reason for refusal by lodges and hotels was that they (hotels) didn’t t want to complete the formality of filling Form-C, which is to be submitted to a government department if people from outside the country come to the city on visa and stay in their lodges and hotels,” said RPF sub-inspector Mahesh Chauhan, who helped the family in their time of distress.
“They also said that the owners of the lodges and hotels told them that they were very small establishments and have no manpower to do the extra work of filling and submitting the Form-C,” he said.
After checking and verifying the family’s documents, Chauhan took them to a cabin at Mumbai Central Police Station, located just outside the railway station, and told them to rest for some time, besides offering them tea and snacks.
The family stayed near the police cabin till 1-1.30 AM yesterday, Chauhan said.
Before heading back to Jodhpur they waited for the train on the footpath outside the station.
