New Delhi: In a similar case that of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was taken into the custody by the Pakistani armed forces, Group Captain Kambampati Nachiketa was taken prisoner by the Pakistan Army on May 27, 1999, during Kargil War.
Captain Nachiketa was captured by the Pakistan Army following ejection from his MiG-27 aircraft after suffering engine flame-out. He was released and sent back to India, after eight days of severe interrogation.
Speaking to CNN-News18, Nachiketa said that he was subjected to intense thrashing by Pakistani Northern Infantry, while he was a prisoner in Pakistan.
Deeply disturbed by Wing Commander Abhinandan’s capture, Nachiketa said, “Kargil was a limited offensive hostility, whereas this was a case where an aerial reaction stemmed from the need to carry out anti-terror operations in the wake of the recent developments.”
“However, each one of us at the forces is trained and conditioned to survive hostile situations,” he added.
In the video clips released by Pakistan, Abhinandan says that he is being treated well by the Pakistani army officials. He can also be seen sipping tea, and Pak officials asking him how the tea was, ensuring he is being treated well.
Responding to the video clip, Nachiketa said, “Abhinandan has been made a prisoner of war, and as per Geneva Conventions, to which both India and Pakistan are signatories, he should be treated with respect an officer deserves and sent back in a healthy condition. However, it’s only once he gets back will we really get to know the facts.”
Nachiketa has lauded Abhinandan as a brave and courageous pilot ‘with high professional ethos befitting an IAF warrior’. “We are all proud of him,” he said.
Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, on Thursday, announced that as a ‘gesture of peace’ Wing Commander Abhinandan will be returned to India.
Pakistan’s gesture to return Abhinandan comes as a great relief for the nation, his family and his unit. The entire nation awaits the return its pilot.
