Wing commander Abinandan Varthaman was returned to India nearly after 60 hours in Pakistan captivity. The Pilot smiled as he crossed over into India through the Attari-Wagah border.
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was flying a MiG-21 Bison. He was chasing a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet that just crossed into the Indian air space, he brought down one of the Pakistani F-16 jets. However during the chase Abhinandan’s MiG 21 was hit by an AMRAAM that was fired by a F-16, this forced him to eject onto the Pakistani side of the LOC.
His first words after coming back home were “it is good to be back in my country.”
Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor briefed media that, “Abhinandan will be taken for a detailed medical checkup. The officer has had to eject from a plane which would have put his body under immense strain.”
The pilot’s homecoming was delayed by over 10 hours due to “documentation”.
The pilots bravery was celebrated across the country, social media were filled with hashtags welcoming the pilot. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Welcome Home Wing Commander Abhinandan! The nation is proud of your exemplary courage. Our armed forces are an inspiration for 130 crore Indians. Vande Mataram!”