Abhinandan Varthaman is an Indian Air Force personnel. His name started cropping up in the media after he was caught by the Pakistani Army on 27 February 2019. Pakistan has shared a video of a person wearing a flight suit. In the video, the person was heard saying that he was Wing Commander Abhinandan. In the video, he was blindfolded and had also given his service number. In the video he said-
My name is Wing Commander Abhinandan. My service number is 27981. I am a flying pilot. My religion is Hindu.”
He is arrested here in Pakistan. #PakistanArmyZindabad pic.twitter.com/94kzVLv175
– Kafil Aslam (@kafilaslam) 27 February 2019
In the video, Abhinandan Varthaman was seen tied from behind and his nose was also bleeding.
Abhinandan Varthaman in Pakistan custody
In another video he was seen being beaten by a mob in Pakistan.
Here, Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman can be seen after being captured by Pakistan. Please note that there is no blood on his face and that people are beating him. It is clear that there was no injury on his face when he was caught #Greetings #Indian Air Force #IndiaStrikesPakistan pic.twitter.com/eTRHNyniCE
– Rishab Rant (@RishabRant) 27 February 2019
Pakistani Armed Forces spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor confirmed the capture of Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. He said-
The two Indian pilots were taken into custody and are being treated well: one is injured and is being provided with proper medical care.
Later, the Indian government also confirmed that an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot had gone missing in action and acknowledged that Pakistan had claimed that the pilot was in their captivity.
Indian Government’s statement on missing IAF pilot on 27 February 2019
According to sources, Abhinandan Varthaman hails from Tambaram, a residential area in the southern part of Chennai, while his ancestral background is from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. Abhinandan Varthaman is a MiG 21 Bison pilot. He was born on 21 June 1983 (age 40 years; as in 2023). Reportedly, he was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 19 June 2004.
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman with his fellow officers
In another video, Abhinandan Varthaman was seen praising the Pakistani Army. In this video he revealed that he is a married man. He is married to Tanvi Marwaha, who has served in the Indian Air Force as a Squadron Leader for 15 years. Tanvi Marwaha’s service number is 28800.
Abhinandan Varthaman’s wife Tanvi Marwaha becomes squadron leader
Tanvi Marwaha has also done Armed Forces Executive Course from IIM Ahmedabad. Presently Tanvi Marwaha is working as DGM of Reliance Jio in Bengaluru.
Abhinandan Varthaman’s wife Tanvi Marwaha
Abhinandan has a son named Tavish.
Abhinandan Varthaman with his wife Tanvi Marwaha and son Tavish
Abhinandan’s father Simhakutty Varthaman is a retired Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force. Simhakutty has also served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command. His service number is 13606. Abhinandan’s mother’s name is Shobha, who is a doctor.
Abhinandan Varthaman’s parents
The Air Marshal, a resident of Chennai, is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal. Abhinandan’s father Simhakutty also worked as a consultant on Mani Ratnam’s film – Kaatru Veliyadai (2017). Set against the backdrop of the 1999 Kargil War, the film tells the story of an Indian military pilot who is held as a prisoner of war in a prison in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Incidentally, a similar incident happened with his son Abhinandan Varthaman on 27 February 2019, when he was caught by the Pakistani Army.
This entire incident took place in the backdrop of the 2019 Pulwama attack. In the attack, a convoy of vehicles carrying Indian security personnel on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber at Lethpora (near Awantipora) in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, India; Resulting in the death of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and the attacker.
Pulwama attack site
The attacker was later identified as Adil Ahmed Dar, a local resident of Indian-administered Kashmir and a member of Jaish-e-Mohammed. Pakistan-based Islamic terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the attack.
A file photo of Adil Ahmed Dar
In retaliation for the Pulwama attack, twelve Mirage 2000 jets of the Indian Air Force crossed the Line of Control and dropped bombs in the Balakot area of Pakistan on 26 February 2019. India claimed that it attacked the training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed, which was operating from Balakot, and killed a large number of terrorists.
A jet aircraft of the Indian Air Force during the airstrike in Balakot
On 27 February 2019, the conflict between India and Pakistan escalated when the Pakistani Air Force violated Indian airspace in the Poonch and Nowshera sectors of Jammu and Kashmir. While Indian officials said a Pakistani Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft was shot down in Jammu, Pakistan claimed to have shot down two IAF aircraft and arrested two pilots.
A Pakistani soldier sitting on the wreckage of an Indian Air Force jet aircraft
At a press conference, Major General Asif Ghafoor, Director General (DG) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said,
Two aircraft of the Indian Air Force violated the Line of Control and entered Pakistan. Pakistani Air Force was ready. They executed it, an encounter took place and in the end, both the Indian aircraft were shot down. The debris of one of them fell towards us and the debris of the other towards them.”
After the capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, several tweets and posts started appearing on other social media platforms in India; Praying for his safe return to Indian soil.
Tweet after Abhinandan Varthaman’s capture by Pakistan
In his speech in the Parliament of Pakistan on 28 February 2019, Imran Khan said that Pakistan would release Abhinandan on 1 March 2019.
On March 1, 2019, Abhinandan returned to India through Wagah Border. In August 2019, he was awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third highest gallantry award.
Abhinandan Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind at a investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
In November 2019, his effigy was displayed in a war museum in Pakistan.
Students taking selfie with Abhinandan Varthaman’s effigy in Pakistan
Here’s a glimpse of Abhinandan Varthaman’s tenure in the Indian Air Force:
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn