PTI, NEW DELHI: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman 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.
