IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan sent on ‘sick leave’

Two weeks after Pakistan returned the Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan, he has been asked to go on 'sick leave' now that IAF and other agencies have completed their debriefing.

The doctors at the Army's Research and Referral Hospital have advised Abhinandan to go on a leave after the debriefing, Indian media reported. A medical review board will assess the medical fitness of the wing commander in the future to decide when the pilot can resume his operations.

On February 27, Abhinandan was captured when his aircraft crashed after being shot down by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for violating the Pakistani airspace. Prime Minister Imran Khan had returned the pilot as a peace gesture on March 1.

Before crossing the border, the IAF pilot in a video said, "The Pakistan Army is a very professional service. I see peace in it. I have spent time with the Pakistan Army [and] I am very impressed."

Speaking about the Indian media the pilot added, "Indian media always stretches the truth. The smallest of things are presented in a very incendiary manner and people get misled".