18 Facts About Abhinandan Varthaman

Abhinandan Varthaman was born on 21 June 1983 in a Tamil Jain family.

Abhinandan Varthaman's father Simhakutty Varthaman is retired Air Marshal, his wife Tanvi Marwaha is a retired Squadron Leader and his mother is a doctor.

Abhinandan Varthaman graduated from the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the combat stream of the IAF as a flying officer on 19 June 2004.

Abhinandan Varthaman was trained at the IAF centres in Bathinda and Halwara, promoted to flight lieutenant on 19 June 2006, and to squadron leader on 8 July 2010.

Abhinandan Varthaman was a Su-30MKI fighter pilot before being assigned to the MiG-21 Bison squadron.

Abhinandan Varthaman was promoted to wing commander on 19 June 2017 and to group captain in November 2021.

On 27 February 2019, Abhinandan Varthaman was flying a MiG-21 as part of a sortie that was scrambled to intercept airstrikes in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan Air Force.

Abhinandan Varthaman engaged in a dogfight with the Pakistani Air Force and was brought down by PAF.

Local villagers said Abhinandan Varthaman could be identified as an Indian pilot by the Indian flag on his parachute.

Abhinandan Varthaman reportedly chanted "Bharat Mata ki Jay", to which the locals responded with "Pakistan Zindabad".

Videos and images released by Pakistani authorities showed Abhinandan Varthaman being rescued from a violent mob by Pakistani soldiers and being interrogated while tied and blindfolded with a bloody face.

The media received a mixed reception; some commentators criticised the reports as a "vulgar display" while others praised the intervention of the Pakistani soldiers when Abhinandan Varthaman was in the hands of the mob and was being beaten.

Later in October 2020, an opposition leader, Ayaz Sadiq had claimed in the National Assembly of Pakistan that Abhinandan Varthaman was released after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a meeting of Pakistan's top leaders that India would attack Pakistan if Abhinandan Varthaman weren't released.

At a rally, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Abhinandan Varthaman's release, saying the nation was proud of him.

IAF later said it had been filmed while Abhinandan Varthaman was under duress.

Abhinandan Varthaman said the Pakistani authorities did not physically torture him but subjected him to considerable "mental harassment".

Akhil Bharatiya Digambar Jain Mahasamiti chairperson Manidra Jain announced Abhinandan Varthaman would be awarded the Bhagwan Mahavir Ahimsa Puraskar on 17 April 2019, the date of Mahavir Jayanti.

Dairy company Amul produced a video showing a young girl wearing an Abhinandan Varthaman-shaped milk moustache.