New Delhi:
Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinanandan Varthaman on Friday finally returned home after more than 55 hours of captivity in Pakistan, which Imran Khan termed as a peace initiative towards defusing a near-war situation triggered by India's retaliation over Pakistan's continued support for terrorism.
A report on India Today stated that IAF wing Commander Abhinanandan Varthaman returned home from Pakistan without the possessions that he had on himself when he landed in PoK except for his ring, watch and spectacles.
The report further adds that upon ejecting from his crashed MiG 21 Bison, IAF wing Commander Abhinanandan Varthaman had his pistol, a survival kit, maps and some confidential documents that he managed to destroy.
The report also said that the "taking over certificate" referred to Abhinandan Varthaman as a prisoner of war, whereas India hasn't referred to him as a prisoner of war.
Soon after coming to India, Abhinanadan went through medical check-up. The MRI reports revealed that the fighter pilot suffered spinal injury as he ejected from his plane after it was shot down. The IAF pilot underwent a medical check-up at Army's Research and Referral (R&R) hospital in the national capital.
The scan has also shown that there is an injury in his lower spine which could have happened due to his ejection from his MiG-21 after aerial engagement with an F-16.
A rib was also injured due to assault by Pakistani locals soon after he landed on ground in PoK after his plane was shot down. He will undergo more check-ups and treatment at Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi Cantonment.
Abhinandan Varthaman on Saturday briefly apprised Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa about the mental trauma he was subjected to during his nearly 60-hour captivity in Pakistan after he was caught following an aerial combat with Pakistani fighters on Wednesday, official sources said.
Sitharaman met Varthaman at the Army's Research and Referral hospital here, a day after Pakistan released him in its bid to scale down heightened tensions between the two countries. In a tweet, the defence minister said she met Varthaman and his family to "commend him on his valour, express the nation's gratitude for his selfless service, and wish him a speedy recovery".
Varthaman's wife Sqn Ldr Tanvi Marwah (retd), seven-year-old son, sister Aditi and a few senior military officials were present in the meeting, the sources said. The IAF pilot, who shot down an F-16 fighter of the Pakistan Air Force shortly before his jet was hit during a fierce dogfight on Wednesday, is undergoing a series of medical tests the hospital as part of a "cooling down" process.
A defence ministry spokesperson said Sitharaman conveyed to the pilot the sentiment of the nation and appreciated his "impeccable combat skills as well as calmness in adversity".
Official sources said Varthaman briefly mentioned to Sitharaman about the mental trauma he was subjected to during his captivity in Pakistan after he was caught in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He is mentally strong and remains in high spirits despite the harassment he suffered in Pakistan, they said.
