Bring back Abhinandan: IAF braveheart's family makes emotional appeal for son's return

The family of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman who is in Pakistan's custody has demanded their son be brought back as soon as possible in an interview to The Hindu.

The MiG 21 Bison pilot lived in Madambakkam in South Chennai and is the son of retired Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman, a highly decorated officer of the Indian Air Force.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's family in Chennai said they are extremely sad to see their son's visuals on TV.

Abhinandan's uncle said: "I saw his visuals on TV. I am going to meet his parents. Please bring back Abhinandan safely. Request the government to bring him back safely."

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Many videos surfaced through the day of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in Pakistan's custody. In all of them, he appeared calm and composed as he spoke to his captors.

In one of the videos, Abhinandan told them who he was, gave them his service number, and identified himself as a Hindu. When a gruff voice demanded -- "What else?" -- Wing Commander Varthaman replied:

"I'm sorry sir...that's all I'm supposed to tell you."

His politeness was not reciprocated. No clear answer was offered when he made his own request for information, again with remarkable composure: "Am I with the Pakistani Army?"

Pakistan claimed on Wednesday it had shot down two Indian jets and arrested two pilots after striking non-military targets in India, a claim they retracted later, saying there was only one Indian pilot in their custody.

At a briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said an Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison was "lost" this morning while thwarting Pakistani fighter jets that had entered Indian airspace in Jammu and Kashmir.

The pilot of that MiG-21 is "missing in action", Raveesh Kumar said. Indian Air Force Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor was present at the briefing

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