WATCH: IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan lands in Delhi on Friday night, gets a rousing welcome

Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman landed in Delhi Friday night, hours after he was handed over to India by Pakistan after being in captivity for nearly three days.

A group of people gave an electrifying welcome to him at the Palam airport, from where he would be taken to a medical facility for examination. 

He was handed over to Indian authorities at Attari-Wagah border Friday evening.

It is good to be back in my country," was the first reaction of IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as he set his foot back on Indian soil.

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This was stated by an official quoting Varthaman after he received the pilot at the Attari-Wagah border soon after his release by Pakistan. In its reaction, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said on Twitter, "We have Wg Cdr Abhinandan back with us. Indian Air Force is proud of our Airwarrior #Abhinandan."

Varthaman, who was captured on February 27 by Pakistan following a dogfight between the two air forces in which his MIG-21 was shot down, returned home from his nearly three-day captivity, a major step towards defusing a near-war situation triggered by India's retaliation over Pakistan's continued support for terrorism.

"We are happy to have him back," said a top IAF officer shortly after Varthaman was handed over to Indian authorities.

He finally emerged at 9.10 p.m(IST) at the Wagah checkpost on the Pakistani side, accompanied by Pakistani rangers, the Indian air attache posted in the High Commission in Islamabad. He was wearing a civilian clothes -- a dark jacket and khakhi trousers, walking proudly toward the gates that separated his captors' country from his homeland.

He will undergo debriefing Saturday which will include his physiological as well as a physical check-up in the presence of officials from the military and Intelligence agencies.

Reading out a brief statement, Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff, told a posse of reporters that the pilot will be taken for a detailed medical examination as he was subjected to a lot of stress during his nearly three-day captivity.

"He will be taken for a detailed medical checkup. The officer has had to eject from a plane which would have put his body under immense strain," said Kapoor.

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