'Pak jawans tried to kill me as I had fired on them'

HYDERABAD: “The heart of a pilot is always in the cockpit. Wing commander Abhinandan will be back with flying colours and return to the cockpit soon,” said Kambampati Nachiketa, the Indian Air Force pilot who was captured by Pakistani forces during the Kargil war in 1999 and released after eight days.

Speaking to TOI over the phone, Nachiketa, who is currently out of the country on duty, said, “Abhinandan went through a difficult and mental draining phase in the past two days. I am happy he will come back and take to the skies again to defend his motherland.”

Nachiketa, who lives in Hyderabad, retired from the IAF as a group captain in 2017 and works as a commercial pilot now. As a flight lieutenant during the Kargil war, he was captured by Pakistani army after he ejected from his MiG 27.

“Wing commander Abhinandan was made a POW (prisoner of war) in a hostile situation. The government and air force must have been in touch with their counterparts across the border which may have resulted in the speedy return of the officer. Like all other Indians, my prayers and wishes were with the family in the difficult moments for the past two days and awaited his return. Abhi is a brave pilot with high professional ethos befitting the IAF air warrior and we are all proud of him.”

Recalling his own captivity in 1999 in Rawalpindi, Nachiketa said, “The MiG 27 I was flying had crashed in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir at Skardu in July 1999. Pakistan army jawans who held me were beating me and even tried to kill me as I had fired on their location from the air. A senior Pakistani officer who came to the spot handled the situation well and controlled the jawans. He took me away. Despite being tortured, my training in the IAF helped me to remain silent.”