India / Video of IAF pilot Abhinandan interacting with colleagues surfaces

Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Saturday met and interacted with his colleagues in Jammu and Kashmir. A video of his short interaction with his colleagues in J&K has since gone viral on social media.

During the meeting, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman addressed other Air Force members and said that the photographs, they clicked with him, were not for them but for their family members who prayed for his health.

"All these photographs are not for you but for your families I could not meet. All of you and your families prayed for my health," Abhinandan Varthaman said. The video was reportedly shot in April.

Recently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had issued a transfer order for Abhinandan Varthaman. The reason for his transfer is said to be a possible threat from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) which had carried out the Pulwama terror attack on February 26.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will now be deployed outside Srinagar. Abhinandan Varthaman will be shifted from Srinagar to a peace station.

Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan on February 27 after his MiG 21 Bison crashed inside Pakistan and later released on March 1.

After he was captured, Abhinandan Varthaman showed courage and grace in handling the most difficult circumstances for which he was praised by politicians, strategic affairs experts, ex-servicemen, celebrities and people in general.

After his return to India via Wagah-Attari border on March 1, Abhinandan Varthaman was sent on a four-week leave during which his medical tests were conducted. In Delhi, Abhinandan underwent a series of medical tests as part of a "cooling down" process, officials told PTI.