The story of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan after his MiG-21 fighter went down on Wednesday, has captivated most Indians. Even as Indians heaved a collective sigh of relief after Pakistan's announcement Abhinandan would be released on Friday, the passengers of a Chennai-Delhi flight made a heart-warming gesture to the pilot's parents.
His father, retired air marshal Simhakutty Varthaman, and mother were flying from Chennai to Delhi on a Indigo flight on Thursday evening to travel onward to Amritsar to receive their son at the Wagah Border. When passengers of the flight learned who the couple were, they made way for them to disembark first.
विंग कमांडर अभिनंदन के माता पिता जब दिल्ली पहुंचे तो फ्लाइट में मौजूद यात्रियों ने किया तालियों से स्वागत...🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/N9j8EskACs
— Ravi Bhadoria रवि भदौरिया (@ravibhadoria) March 1, 2019
Video footage has gone viral on social media showing people on the flight clapping and cheering the parents of Abhinandan as they were moving to exit the aircraft.
Simhakutty, who was a decorated Indian Air Force officer, had declined to speak to media at the family's home in Chennai. Abhinandan is expected to be released on Friday evening.
