Kambampati Nachiketa

2022-09-18T17:04:04Z

92.5.104.255:

{{Short description|Indian Air Force pilot captured by Pakistani forces during the 1999 Kargil War}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Group captain (India)|Group Captain]]
| name = Kambampati Nachiketa
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|05|31|df=y}}
| death_date =
| birth_place =
| death_place =
| image =
| caption = Photo of Wing Commander Nachiketa from his Identity Card
| nickname = Nachi
| allegiance = {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{air force|India}}
| serviceyears = 1990 – 2017
| rank = [[File:Group Captain of IAF.png|32px]] [[Group captain (India)|Group Captain]]
| commands =
| unit = [[No. 9 Squadron IAF|No. 9 Squadron]]<br>No.48 Squadron<br>No.78 Squadron
| battles = [[Kargil War]]
| awards = [[File:Vayusena Medal ribbon.svg|42px]] [[Vayusena Medal]]
| laterwork =
}}

[[Group captain (India)|Group Captain]] '''Kambampati Nachiketa Rao''', [[Vayusena Medal|VM]] is a retired officer of the [[Indian Air Force]].<ref name=Bharat-rakshak.com>{{cite web | url = http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Record/view.php?srnum=22930
| title = Service Record of Flt. Lt. Kambampati Nachiketa 22930 F(P) | accessdate = 20 October 2006 | publisher = bharat-rakshak.com}}</ref> While carrying out an Airstrike on Pakistani positions in [[Batalik]] sector during the [[Kargil War]], he was shot down and captured on 27 May 1999 by a Pakistani Unit led by Capt [[Rao Tahseen Ali]]. Nachiketa ejected from his [[MiG-27]]L<ref>Stamford, Lincs., U.K.: Air Forces Monthly, July 1999, Number 136, pages 74–75.</ref> and was held in Pakistani custody.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://newsd.in/iaf-pilot-nachiketa-kargil-war-hero-who-was-caught-tortured-yet-returned-with-raised-head/|title=The story of Kargil War hero Flight Lieutenant Kambampati Nachiketa|work=Newsd www.newsd.in|access-date=2019-02-28|language=en}}</ref> He is presently a Captain at Indigo Airlines.

==Early life==
Nachiketa was born on 31 may 1973 to Sri. K. R. K. Sastry and Smt. K. Laxmi.<ref name=siafdu>{{cite web | url = http://geocities.com/siafdu/nachi.html | title = Flt. Lt. K. Nachiketa VM | accessdate = 19 August 2006 | publisher = Sam's Indian Air Force Down Under | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20091026091737/http://geocities.com/siafdu/nachi.html
| archivedate = 26 October 2009}}</ref> He studied at [[Kendriya Vidyalaya]] in [[Delhi]], and joined the [[National Defence Academy (India)|National Defence Academy]], Khadakwasla.

==Kargil War==
During the [[Kargil War]], Nachiketa was a [[Flight Lieutenant]] and a [[Mikoyan MiG-27]] pilot from [[No. 9 Squadron IAF]] (Wolfpack) who took part in a strike in the [[Batalik]] Sector on 26 May 1999.<ref name=bharatrakshak>{{cite web | url = http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Kargil/1064-Nachiketa.html| title = Engine Flameout | accessdate = 16 November 2009
| publisher = bharat-rakshak.com }}</ref> Armed with 80mm rockets and the aircraft's 30mm cannon, Nachiketa attacked an enemy position. During the operation, the aircraft took a hit from a Pakistan army MANPADS and Nachiketa was forced to eject.

After ejecting, Nachiketa evaded immediate capture but after two to three hours, a Pakistani army patrol captured him.<ref name=timesofindia>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1896706.cms |title=No fear of flying for this Kargil hero |accessdate=16 August 2006 |work=Times of India|url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221172415/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1896706.cms |archivedate=21 February 2008 }}</ref> Nachiketa continued to fire his service pistol till he ran out of bullets and was arrested. He was taken to a prison in [[Rawalpindi]] where he was beaten up by Pakistani soldiers until a senior officer intervened. Speaking to NDTV in 2016, Nachiketa said, "The jawans who had captured me were trying to manhandle me and maybe trying to kill me because, for them, I was just an enemy pilot who had fired on their locations from the air... Fortunately, the officer who came was very mature. He realised the situation that I am now a captive and now I need not be handled that way. So he was able to control them, which was a big effort because they were very aggressive at that stage."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kambampati-nachiketa-kargil-war-india-pakistan-indian-pilot-arrested-1466400-2019-02-27|title = This is what Pakistan did last time one of our pilots was in its custody}}</ref>

==Life as a prisoner==
Nachiketa remained in the custody of Pakistani forces for eight days.<ref>{{cite news|title=Flt Lt Nachiketa arrives in India|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/jun/04nach.htm|accessdate=7 January 2012|newspaper=Rediff News|date=4 June 1999}}</ref> He was first taken to an undisclosed location in the [[Batalik]]. After a two-hour wait, he was taken by helicopter to [[Skardu]].

He was interrogated by the Director of Operations of the [[Pakistan Air Force]], Group Captain [[Kaiser Tufail]]. This interrogation was called "very civil" by Tufail, who said it was a casual talk between two officers rather than the captor and a POW. Tufail said his mandate was to inquire the circumstances of the ejection and the mission.<ref name=indianexpress1>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/amazed-we-had-so-much-in-common-pak-officer-on-indian-kargil-pilot/475787/0 |title=Amazed we had so much in common: Pak officer on Indian Kargil pilot |work=Indian Express|date=13 June 2009 |accessdate=12 May 2012}}</ref>

==Repatriation==
Nachiketa was repatriated to India on 3 June 1999. He was handed over to the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]] in Pakistan and was subsequently repatriated over the Indian border check post at [[Attari]] on the Amritsar-to-Lahore road. Nachiketa described his experiences in captivity as "difficult to be described in words" and said he felt "death would have been a better solution".<ref name=expressPOW/>

==Subsequent career==
Nachiketa was promoted to [[Group captain (India)|Group Captain]] and flew [[Ilyushin Il-78]] [[mid-air refuelling]] transport aircraft with [[No. 78 Squadron IAF]] stationed at [[Agra]]. He suffers from long-term back pain due to injury sustained during the parachute landing while he lost his MiG-27 in an engine flame out when he was shot down over Pakistan during the 1999 Kargil conflict<ref name=expressPOW>{{cite news|last=Press Trust of India|title=Kargil's first Indian PoW back in sky, to fly mid-air refuellers|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kargils-first-indian-pow-back-in-sky-to-fly-midair-refuellers/335499/0|accessdate=7 January 2012|newspaper=[[Indian Express]]|date=15 July 2008}}</ref>

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|[[File:Vayusena Medal ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Operation Vijay star.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Operation Vijay medal.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Special Service Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND High Altitude Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|[[Vayusena Medal]]
|[[Operation Vijay Star]]
|[[Operation Vijay Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Special Service Medal]]
|-
|[[Sainya Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|High Altitude Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|50th Anniversary of Independence Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Long service awards|9 Years Long Service Medal]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nachiketa, Kambampati}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Indian aviators]]
[[Category:People of the Kargil War]]
[[Category:Indian prisoners of war]]
[[Category:Kendriya Vidyalaya alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Vayu Sena Medal]]
[[Category:Shot-down aviators]]
[[Category:Prisoners of war held by Pakistan]]

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Kambampati Nachiketa