Was mentally harassed, says Abhinandan Varthaman

New Delhi: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was brought to Delhi after Pakistan released him on Friday, has apprised defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Air Chief  Marshal B.S. Dhanoa about the mental harassment he was subjected to during his nearly 60-hour captivity in Pakistan.

Sources said the pilot, who is undergoing medical tests at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi, briefly mentioned to Ms Sitharaman about the mental trauma though he was not tortured physically during captivity.

Wg. Cdr.Varthaman’s wife Sqn Ldr Tanvi Marwah (retd), seven-year-old son, sister Aditi and senior military officials were present in his meeting with the defence minister on Saturday, sources said.

He is mentally strong and remains in high spirits despite the harassment he suffered in Pakistan, they said.

The IAF pilot, who was caught by Pakistanis after he shot down an F-16 fighter of the Pakistan Air Force shortly before his jet was hit during a dogfight on Wednesday, is undergoing tests the hospital as part of a “cooling down” process.

The process prepares a soldier for reintegration into routine family and regimental life after he has undergone traumatic psychological stress in hostile environment or war.

In a tweet, the defence minister said she met Wg. Cdr.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”.

Pictures of the meeting released by the ministry showed a relaxed-looking Wg Cdr Varthaman sitting on a chair.

There did not seem to be any “worrying back injuries” caused during the bailout from his MiG-21, officials said.

When Wg. Cdr. Varthaman crossed over into India from the Attari border in Punjab on Friday night, his right eye above the handlebar moustache appeared swollen.

Once, the pilot’s health check up phase is over, debriefing sessions will be arranged for him, officials said.

During debriefing, Wg. Cdr. Varthaman will share the sequence of the events. “He will give details on how he was hit, where he landed, how he got caught and what he told the Pakistanis. What documents they recovered from him and how he was treated,” said a source. He is also likely to give a briefing on what is the mood in Pakistan after he airstrikes on JeM camps and other things he sensed while in their custody.

The pilot arrived in the national capital from Amritsar on an IAF flight at around 11.45 pm on Friday, nearly two-and-half hours after he crossed over to India through the Attari-Wagah border.