India aware of identity of Pakistani F16 pilot: Nirmala Sitharaman

NEW DELHI: India is aware of the identity of the pilot of the Pakistani F16 fighter jet, which was shot down by Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, said defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, adding that the Pakistani pilot was “beaten by locals and probably succumbed to his injuries.”

“The truth is that the F16 pilot was beaten by locals, probably by mistake, assuming that he is an Indian pilot. He was admitted in a hospital, but I don’t think he survived,” she said at a media event in the national capital.