Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s Debriefing Concludes, to be Sent on Sick Leave: IAF Sources

The debriefing of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has concluded. The IAF pilot will now be sent on sick leave. Later, a medical review board will examine his fitness and decide if he ca fly again.

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force on Thursday said that the debriefing of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has been completed by all the agencies. The officer will now be sent on sick leave for a few weeks following the advice of doctors of Army’s Research and Referral Hospital in the national capital.

Further, a medical review board in the near future will assess the medical fitness of the IAF pilot and decide on when can he resume his operations as a fighter pilot, ANI reported.

Notably, the Wing Commander was held captive by Pakistani authorities on February 27 after his MiG 21 Bison went down during a dogfight with Pakistani jets. Before his plane was hit, he shot down an F-16 of Pakistan air force. He was also manhandled by a crowd after he landed in a village in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Abhinandan Varthaman was brought back to India after two days of being held captive in Pakistan. According to reports, Abhinandan had suffered a rib fracture, some bruises and back contusion. The IAF pilot underwent a medical checkup at Army’s Research and Referral hospital a day after he was handed over to India at Attari-Wagah border by Pakistan.