Released by Pak, IAF hero Abhinandan Varthaman returns home

Agencies
March 1, 2019

Chandigarh, Mar 1: Captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman walked to freedom as he crossed into the Indian territory through the Wagah-Attari border in Punjab late on Friday evening after he was released by Pakistan. 

Dressed in a blue-grey suit, he was embraced by a senior BSF official at the border before crossing into the Indian side. In Pakistan army’s custody since Wednesday morning, the pilot’s hand over finally took place at around 9.20 pm after several postponements. Pakistan brought Abhinandan by road from Islamabad to Lahore and from there to the Wagah border. 

Abhinandan was taken for a medical examination soon after he was handed over by the Pakistani authorities. A heavily guarded convoy then escorted the officer from the border post to the Amritsar airport, from where he flew to New Delhi’s Palam airport.  

For hundreds of people, who had gathered to see the brave officer walk to freedom, celebrations started since morning.

The road leading to the border was a sea of flowing tricolour and chants of ‘Bharat mata Ki Jai,’ Vande Mataram rang out ceaselessly. Many patriots continued to stay put on roads in spite of the delay just to have a glimpse of the brave officer.

Abhinandan’s welcome was marked by the high decibel sound of celebratory ‘dhol’ and victory chants by people. Members of the civil society made banners expressing gratitude and saluting the pilot for his indomitable courage.

The famous retreat ceremony at the Attari-Wagha border in Punjab was cancelled due to Abhinandan’s release, much to the disappointment of visitors. A large number of people, who had gathered at the border for the retreat ceremony, were asked to leave following the cancellation.

Earlier on Friday, the High Commission of India in Islamabad issued a travel document to facilitate Abhinandan Varthaman’s repatriation from Pakistan.

Group Captain Joy Thomas Kurien, Air Advisor of High Commission of India in Pakistan, was with Wing Commander Varthaman when he reached Pakistan-India border at Wagah-Attari.

Fareha Bugti, Director (India) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, was also with the IAF pilot when he was handed over to the officers of Border Security Force personnel of India after repeated postponements due to procedural delays. He underwent a health check up by the representatives of International Committee of Red Cross before his repatriation.

“The captured Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has been returned to India today. He was arrested when his military jet MIG-21 crashed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir after being shot down by Pakistan Air Force for violating Pakistani airspace on February 27, 2019 (Wednesday),” Mohammad Faisal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Government, said in a statement.

“While in captivity, he was treated with dignity and in line with international law,” stated Faisal.

Comments

indian
 - 
Saturday, 2 Mar 2019

does indian have this same courage to treat any paki army like this...we all know last 5 year BJP is just blamming paki for there own benefit. real telling all bad story like behading solider, in reallity this never happen.

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News Network
July 5,2020

Tirupati, Jul 5: The Karnataka government will soon build a massive pilgrim amenities complex and marriage hall at Tirumala, the hill abode of Lord Venkateswara, at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore, a temple official said here on Saturday.

The state would soon submit a blueprint for the construction of the Rs 200 crore mega complexes to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) that governs the hill shrine, the official said.

Consequently, based on the designs, TTD would construct the complexes with the given fund and after completion, they would be handed over to the Karnataka government, he said.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa would lay the foundation stone for the mammoth complexes on the hills some time next month, he said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is likely to take part in the programme, he added.

Comments

Ahmed Ali k
 - 
Sunday, 5 Jul 2020

Dear Sir,   

 

 

Keep aside all these type of extra expenditure like spending for statues, monuments, pilgrim amnesties etc.

 

During this period of virus pandamic, please use all these amount for medicines, medical facilities, food and development of the state.  We are facing shortage of medical facilites and the people are dying on the road by not getting a bed in the hospital.  Please use these amounts for the same.  During this Pandemic not even hindu brothers also accept this offer.  Leave all vote politics and concentrate to develop the state.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 14,2020

Bengaluru, May 14: As many as 22 new cases have been reported in Karnataka taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 981. 

The new cases include five in Bengaluru Urban - all with a contact history, four each in Gadag - with history of travel to Ahemadabad, Mandya with travel history to Mumbai, Maharashtra and Bidar - with three from containment zone and one with travel history to Mumbai, three from Davangere and one each from Belagavi and Bagalkote.

Meanwhile, two more deaths have been reported in the state on Thursday morning taking the total toll to 35. This is apart from a non-COVID-19 death.

An 80-year-old resident of Dakshina Kannada, got admitted at private hospital following a stroke. She was shifted to the icu on confirmation for Covid-19 at a designated hospital on April 26. She died on Thursday due to septic shock.

Another 60-year-old male, resident of Ananthapur in Andhra Pradesh, admitted at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru with severe pneumonia and respiratory distress died due to cardiac arrest on Thursday morning. He had hypotension and Diabetes Mellitus, according to the morning health bulletin.

Sources in Victoria Hospital said this person was the first patient to undergo clinical trial for plasma therapy. He was infused plasma on Monday. However, his condition continued to remain the same.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
June 21,2020

Bengaluru, June 21: An assistant sub-inspector of police who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 infection in city-based Victoria hospital passed away on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday as he did not respond to the treatment for coronavirus.

The 59-year-old ASI was attached to the Wilson Garden traffic police station in Bengaluru. He tested positive for coronavirus on June 18 and was rushed to the COVID ward in Victoria hospital on June 19. He had fever for the last four days. His wife and two children have been quarantined. According to the police, the station has not yet been sealed down and no policemen have been quarantined.

The Wilson Garden ASI is the third Bengaluru police personnel to die of COVID-19 in the last one week. Earlier, an ASI from the VV Puram traffic police station had died undergoing treatment. On Saturday morning, a head constable from the Kalasipalya police station who was admitted at Victoria hospital passed away. The series of deaths in the police department has created fear among other policemen across the city.

One the other hand, dozens of policemen were tested positive in different parts of Karnataka today including 21 from two police stations of Bengaluru. 

Around 15 policemen from the Kalasipalya police station and five policemen from the Ashok Nagar traffic police station tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday.

In Kalasipalya, three ASIs, head constables and police constables have tested positive. In Ashok Nagar traffic police station, a probationary sub-inspector, an ASI, two police constables and a lady constable tested positive for the virus.

One more police constable working in Bandepalya police station also tested positive. Seven policemen who were in his primary contacts have been quarantined. BBMP officials have begun the process of fumigating the station premises and its surroundings.

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