Two missing Indian soldiers in US declared deserters

New Delhi, Apr 21 (UNI) The Army today declared as ''deserters'' its two soldiers who had gone missing during training in the United States last month.

The two soldiers -- Sanjay Mahato and Santosh Thapa -- went missing on March 20, the last day of the ten-day joint exercise with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit of the US Army at Camp Pendleton in California.

The two soldiers, from 1/1 Gorkha Rifles, were part of a 120-man detachment that participated in the exercise, codenamed Shatrujeet 2008, a two-week joint operation to ''share knowledge and build interoperabililty for possible future operations.'' The Army had earlier declared the soldiers AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave).

''After the expiry of 30-day AWOL period, we have declared them as deserters as per the legal procedure followed by the Indian Army,'' officiating Army spokesman Lt Col A K Mathur said.

The Army had also ordered a court of inquiry into their disappearance.

Meanwhile, frantic search was on to trace 25-year-old Lt Abhishek R Naik, attached with 10 Sikh Light Infantry at Bhatinda in Punjab.

He has been reported missing from New Delhi Railway Station since April 6.

UNI AG PK RAI2038