New Delhi:
The debriefing of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has been completed by the Indian Air Force and other agencies, sources said on Thursday. Sources privy to the information said that the IAF pilot will now go on sick leave for a few weeks. "Now the officer would be going on sick leave for a few weeks on the advice of doctors of Army’s Research and Referral Hospital," tweeted ANI.Â
According to senior officials of the IAF, a medical review board in the near future will assess his medical fitness and decide on when can he resume his operations as a fighter pilot.
IAF Sources: A medical review board in the near future will assess the medical fitness of Wing Commander #AbhinandanVarthaman and decide on when can he resume his operations as a fighter pilot. https://t.co/B4DAZR4jhY
— ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2019
Earlier, senior officials debriefing the 35-year-old fighter pilot - who was in Pakistan’s captivity after he ejected from his plane when it took a hit on February 27 – said that he was grilled by the Pakistani forces during the first 24 hours of his captivity.
Reports suggest that at least three to four separate teams comprising a select group of officers were debriefing the Wing Commander on various aspects of his captivity.Â
During his captivity, Varthaman was made to stand for long hours and subjected to loud music to increase his discomfort, the official said, requesting anonymity. The official also added that Varthaman showed immense resilience even as Pakistani officers tried to extract information from him about the frequencies that the IAF uses to transmit messages, deployment of fighter jets and logistical arrangements.
All fighter pilots in India are taught to hold back for as long as possible when captured so that transmitting frequencies and deployments can be changed in the first 24 hours to deny the adversary any advantage, the officer said. “Wing Commander Abhinandan did exactly that,†the officer said.
