Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman To Be Awarded First Bhagwan Mahavir Ahimsa Puraskar
Varthaman will be the first recipient of the award that is instituted by the Akhil Bharatiya Digambar Jain Mahasamiti, a functionary of the organisation said on Sunday.
New Delhi, March 4: After receiving a hero's welcome back home on Friday, Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will soon be awarded the 'Bhagwan Mahavir Ahimsa Puraskar'. Varthaman will be the first recipient of the award that is instituted by the Akhil Bharatiya Digambar Jain Mahasamiti, a functionary of the organisation informed on Sunday. The award has been instituted this year (2019) and carries a cash prize of Rs. 2.51 lakh.
The award for the fighter pilot was announced in New Delhi by the organisation's chairperson Manidra Jain, said its Maharashtra chapter convener Paras Lohade in Nashik. Along with a cash prize, the award also carries a memento and a citation and will be presented to Abhinandan Varthaman on April 17, coinciding with Mahavir Jayanti. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman Returns Home With a Rib Fracture, Back Contusion and Bruises: Reports.
The IAF pilot was held in Pakistan's captivity for nearly 60 hours after his MiG-21 Bison fighter went down. The brave-heart had hit a Pakistani F-16 before he was forced to eject and landed across the Line of Control. The countdown for the homecoming of Abhinandan began on Thursday after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament that he would be released the following day as a gesture of peace. After nearly three-day captivity in Pakistan, Varthaman returned to India to on Friday night. Abhinandan Varthaman Remains in High Spirit Despite Mental Harassment in Pakistan.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after IAF jets bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan, killing a number of terrorists. The air strikes on the JeM terror camps came 12 days after the terror group claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 04, 2019 02:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).