Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, a prominent figure in the Indian Air Force (IAF), has officially resigned from military service. Varthaman gained national attention in February 2019 during a high-tension aerial confrontation between India and Pakistan. Following an encounter in which his MiG-21 Bison was shot down, he was captured by Pakistani forces and held as a prisoner of war before being released and returned to India.

Reports regarding the 2019 incident remain a point of contention between the two nations. Indian officials and Varthaman himself have maintained that he successfully shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet before his own aircraft was downed. Conversely, Pakistani military officials have consistently denied that any F-16 was lost during the engagement, asserting that their air force did not suffer such losses during the skirmish.

Following his return to India in 2019, Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra, one of India's highest wartime gallantry awards, for his actions during the mission. After serving in the IAF for several years following his repatriation, Varthaman has now moved into the private sector, where he has begun working as a pilot for a commercial airline. His departure from the military marks the end of a high-profile career that became a focal point of the 2019 geopolitical standoff between New Delhi and Islamabad.