“No Indian solider in custody”

New Delhi, May 4: Mr. Vidya Charan Shukla, Minister of Defence Production, said in the Rajya Sabha to-day that Government presumed that no Indian solider was in Chinese custody, following the Chinese aggression in 1962, and therefore no efforts had been made to take up the matter with the Chinese Government. Dr. Bhai Mahavir asked about the number of Indian soldiers still missing and not yet accounted for following the Chinese aggression in 1962, and whether the Government had approach International Red Cross and other agencies, with China having became a member of the United Nations to find out if any solider was in captivity there. Mr. Shukla said all soliders who were declared missing as a result of the aggression had already been officially presumed “in accordance with the prescribed procedure” to have been killed. “The Government is not aware of any prisoner being held in Chinese custody.” He denied that the number of those missing was above 3,000. The number declared missing was 1,667 taking into account the bodies of soldiers recovered.