Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman tortured by the Pakistani Army

Everybody is familiar with the name Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Well! Abhinanan has become a hero in our country and why not? He earned respect of the nation through his actions and his determined will. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman fell at the other side of the Line of Control after his MiG-21 was shot down in a dogfight. He was held captive for 24 hours in Pakistan. He survived the Pakistani interrogations that were held to gain crucial information such as the high-security radio frequencies and sensitive logistics.

A senior officer after debriefing Abhinandan Varthaman after he returned to India trough the Wagah border on March 1 said that he was tortured. He was beaten up by his captors, deprived of sleep and even was choked. He was also subjected to loud music and was made to stand for hours to increase his uneasiness.

The official said that the Pakistani officers also tried to mine the information about the frequencies that Indian Air Force uses to transmit messages, deployment of fighter jets and logistical arrangements.

The official added that all the Indian fighter pilots are taught to hold back so that the frequencies and deployment can be changed as soon as possible. “Wing Commander Abhinandan did exactly that,” the officer said.

“The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) questioned him, but he was largely in custody of the Pakistan Army. There was no medical treatment in the initial hours after ejection. On the contrary, he was made to stand, they played loud music to confuse and increase the discomfort. He was also chocked – a kind of dry waterboarding – and even beaten up. Pakistan tried to extract information regarding Indian deployment,” the officer said.

Similar situation occurred two decades back when Kargil war was on. Flight Lieutenant Kambampati Nachiketa was captured by the Pakistani troops after his MiG-27 was hit by a missile. He was also tortured and shots were fired near his feet while the interrogation. It took much longer time to retrieve Flight Lieutenant Kambampati Nachiketa. However this time, India’s position has increased globally and this helped Varthaman to return within 24 hours after being held captive.

During the initial stage, Pakistan tried extracting information by torturing but when global diplomatic pressure mounted over it then Pakistan changed its treatment towards the Wing Commander Abhinandan. Not even from the India but the pressure would have built up from several nations such as the US, UK and Saudi Arabia.