Wing Commander Abhinandan's Call With His Wife From Pakistan Custody, 'Tell Them Papa Jail Mein..'

Former Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was held captive for three days in Pakistan after his aircraft was shot down in 2019.

Indian Air Force fighter pilot Abhinandan Varthaman has been in the headlines after he took premature retirement from the Air Force to start a new journey in his life. He is known as the brave commander who was held captive for three days in Pakistan after his aircraft was shot down in an air duel with a Pakistan Air Force jet in February 2019.

Wing Commander Abhinandan had a phone call with his wife, Tanvi, while he was in Pakistan's custody

When Abhinandan Varthaman was in Pakistan's captivity, a video surfaced on the internet where he was served tea in the custody of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence. Abhinandan's fighter jet was shot down on February 27, 2019, and he returned to India after nearly 60 hours. 

A source revealed to The Print that the ISI employed classic good-cop, bad-cop tactics. One Pakistani officer punched Abhinandan's ribs and slapped him. Another walked in and made him speak to his wife, Tanvi, who is a former Indian Air Force Helicopter pilot. 

However, Tanvi showed her presence of mind and calmly handled the situation when she got a call from Pakistan routed through Saudi Arabia. For a second, she was taken aback when she heard her husband Abhinandan's voice over the phone, which showed a Saudi number. When she found out that it was done by ISI, she recorded the conversation. 

She tried hard not to break down and conversed with her husband. The phone call began with a question about how he was doing, and then she asked what she should tell their two children about their father's whereabouts. Abhinandan said:

"Tell them Papa jail mein hain."

In the middle of the conversation, Tanvi also talked about the video that was shared by the Pakistani military showing Abhinandan having a cup of tea. She asked him, "Chai kaisi thi?" Abhinandan replied that it was nice. She asked him if it was better than hers, and Abhinandan laughed and said, "Yes, it was better." Tanvi then stated: 

"Phir recipe lete hue aana."

Later, it was revealed that Abhinandan was hit by an ISI officer while he was in custody. Initially, it was assumed that his broken ribs were due to the beating of the civilians when he parachuted into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir; it was later revealed that a Pakistani officer punched him and broke his ribs.

The officer also slapped him, and at the time of his arrest, he was hit on the back with a rifle butt by a Pakistani soldier. Apart from the physical assault, Abhinandan was subjected to loud music and bright lights for the first 24 hours, so that he could break down. He was kept sleep-deprived. 

In February 2019, Indian forces launched air strikes against terrorists in Pakistani territory after a suicide bomb incident in Pulwama killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel. However, things took a turn when Pakistan captured Wing Commander Varthaman after downing his MiG-21 fighter, which triggered the most serious military crisis. 

For those who don't know, the former Group Captain and Vir Chakra Awardee served in the Air Force for 22 years. Now, he has joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91 asa pilot. He joined the airline in August 2026, but so far he has not issued any statement on the same. Also, the airline has refused to release any personal information about its employees. 

What do you think about Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's call with his wife, Tanvi while he was in Pakistan's captivity?

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