Wing Commander, Abhinandan Called His Wife From Pakistan's Custody, Said, 'Tell Them Papa Jail...'

Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthaman faced several difficulties while he was held in Pakistan's custody. Read to know more.

Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthaman's MiG-21 Bison fighter jet was shot down during an ariel dogfight in February 2019. The Air Force officer had been flying as part of a mission to intercept a Pakistani jet that had crossed the LoC. However, when he ejected from his damaged aircraft, he landed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and was taken into custody by the army. 

Abhinandan Varthaman faced several difficulties while in Pakistan's custody. Yet during his call to his wife, Tanvi Marwah, he was able to joke about the tea he was served while in the custody of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). According to reports, this was the only conversation between the couple between the time he was taken away and his return via the Wagah border nearly 60 hours later.

Abhinandan Varthaman talked to his wife while in Pakistan's custody

According to ThePrint's source the Inter-Services Intelligence employed classic 'good cop-bad cop' tactics in order to get Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthaman to talk. While one officer punched him and broke his ribs, the other got him a phone call to his wife, Tanvi Marwah. While they didn't get anything from the commander, the couple shared a light laugh amidst the difficult situation.

According to the source, Tanvi, a former Indian Air Force helicopter pilot, also demonstrated a great deal of strength during this time of crisis. She channelled her inner confidence, calmness and presence of mind when she got a call from her husband, Abhinandan. The call from Pakistan was routed through Saudi Arabia. While Tanvi was taken aback when she heard her husband's voice over the phone, she still showed her presence of mind and recorded the conversation. 

Wing Commander, Abhinandan asked his wife, Tanvi, to tell their children that he was in jail

At a time when most would break down, Wing Commander, Abhinandan showed immense confidence and spoke calmly. Apart from the obvious questions about the commander's well-being, she asked him what she should tell their children about his whereabouts. Abhinandan, in a composed voice, asked her to tell the kids that he was in jail. He was quoted as saying:

"Tell them Papa jail mein hain."

Tanvi Marwah joked with her husband about the cup of tea he had with ISI

During the conversation, Tanvi Marwah and Wing Commander, Abhinandan were able to share a lighthearted joke about the video released by the Pakistani military. For the unversed, the video showed Abhinandan being quizzed by a member of the establishment over a cup of tea. Recalling this, Tanvi asked him how the tea was, to which the commander responded, saying it was nice. Tanvi further asked him if it was better than how she makes it, and when Abhinandan responded affirmatively, she quipped and said:

"Phir recipe lete hue aana."

Wing Commander, Abhinandan was subjected to physical torture 

According to the sources, after a detailed debriefing of Abhinandan of the events of his custody in Pakistan, it was determined that he was hit by an ISI officer. While the broken ribs at first were assumed to be from the civilians when he parachuted into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, it was later determined that the ISI officer's punches broke his ribs. According to ThePrint. The ISI officer also slapped Wing Commander, Abhinandan and was even assaulted by a rifle butt by a Pakistani soldier at the time of his arrest. Besides the physical beating, Abhinandan was also subjected to loud music and bright lights for the first 24 hours to break him down by keeping him sleep-deprived.

What are your thoughts on Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthaman's conversation with his wife, Tanvi Marwah?

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