Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was assaulted, chocked and kept sleep deprived by his Pakistani captors in an effort to extract crucial information but he refused to give-in, Hindustan Times has reported.
As per the report, the Pakistanis wanted to extract information like Indian troop deployment, high-security radio frequencies and other data from Abhinandan but he refused to divulge anything.
Wing Commander Abhinandan spent about 48 hours in captivity after his MiG-21 was shot down by Pakistan but not before he brought down an F-16 - a first such act by an Indian pilot.
As per the report during his captivity he was also subject to loud music and made to stand long hours. As per an unnamed Indian debriefing officer, four different Pakistani teams interrogated him which included the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) but he was mainly kept in Pakistan Army’s custody.
He was also not provided any treatment by the Pakistanis in the early hours of his captivity but to his huge credit he staved-off the interrogators.
In the event of any such capture the Indian Air Force is capable of changing frequencies and deployment within 24 hours. Thus, the pilots are urged to hold back for as long as possible and Wing Commander Abhinandan did just that.