Abhinandan Varthaman in Delhi: IAF hero to undergo physiological, physical check-up today

Today, Abhinandan Varthaman will undergo debriefing which will include his physiological as well as a physical check-up in the presence of officials from the military and Intelligence agencies.

Varthaman, who was captured on February 27 by Pakistan following a dogfight between the two air forces in which his MIG-21 was shot down, returned home from his nearly three-day captivity. / ANI IMAGE

New Delhi: Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman landed in Delhi on Friday night, hours after he was handed over to India by Pakistan after being in captivity for nearly three days. In Delhi, he got a rousing welcome at the Palam airport. From there, he would be taken to a medical facility for examination. He was handed over to Indian authorities at Attari-Wagah border on Friday evening. News agency PTI reported that he will undergo debriefing which will include his physiological as well as a physical check-up in the presence of officials from the military and Intelligence agencies today. The first words of Abhinandan who entered India with a smile on his face were “ I am happy to be back in my country,”  Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar Shiv Dular Singh Dhillon informed, while answering media questions soon after the IAF convoy left the Attari border with Abhinandan. Varthaman, who was captured on February 27 by Pakistan following a dogfight between the two air forces in which his MIG-21 was shot down, returned home from his nearly three-day captivity. Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced the Indian pilot's return in Parliament on Thursday as a "goodwill gesture" aimed at de-escalating rising tensions between the two countries following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group. He finally emerged at 9.10 p.m(IST) at the Wagah checkpost on the Pakistani side, accompanied by Pakistani rangers, the Indian air attache posted in the High Commission in Islamabad. He was wearing a civilian clothes -- a dark jacket and khakhi trousers, walking proudly toward the gates that separated his captors' country from his homeland.