Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was held captive following an aerial dogfight between Pakistan and Indian on February 27 which resulted in the downing of at least one Indian MiG21 Bison aircraft, returned to the cockpit of the same jet on Monday morning, Indian media reported.
As Indian Air Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa welcomed Abhinandan, he said: “Both of us have two things in common. First, both have ejected and second, both of us have fought Pakistanis. I fought in Kargil, he fought after Balakot. Third, I’ve flown with his father.”
Following the Pulwama incident in which 44 Indian paramilitary soldiers lost their lives, two Indian aircraft entered Pakistani air space on Feb 27 for the second time, engaged with Pakistan Air Force (PAF), and as a result, were shot down.
The wreckage of one of the planes landed in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), and the wreckage of the other plane landed in the Indian-occupied Kasmir (IoK), Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had confirmed at the time.
Pilot Abhinandan, who was critically injured, was captured by the armed forces on the ground and sent to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for immediate medical treatment.
Subsequently, Pakistan handed over Abhinandan to India on March 1 in a peace gesture after Prime Minister Imran Khan announced to release the pilot in an attempt to “de-escalate tensions” between the two countries.
Ironically enough, the Indian government last month conferred upon Abhinandan the Vir Chakra, its third-highest wartime gallantry award.
