3 minor boys drown while swimming in pond in Ashok Nagar

Bhopal: Three minor boys from Ajleshwar village in Ashok Nagar drowned in a pond on Monday afternoon after they drifted into a deeper section while swimming with friends. According to police and local accounts, six boys had gone to a pond located around 2 km from their village.Between 12 pm and 12.30 pm, while in the water, three boys reportedly drifted towards a deeper section of the pond. They lost balance and began drowning. Friends accompanying them attempted a rescue but backed off due to the depth of the water.Other boys rushed back to the village and alerted family members. Villagers gathered at the site and launched an initial search, but were unable to locate the boys due to the depth of the pond and lack of equipment.A team from Nai Sarai police station reached the spot and called in the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). The SDRF personnel recovered the bodies from the pond after a few hours.Family members said Mayank, a Class 9 student, was studying in Guna and had returned home after exams. Om, a Class 8 student, was also studying in Guna and had come back to the village recently. Dev, also in Class 8, studied in Nai Sarai and commuted daily. He was the only brother to three sisters. The deceased were identified as Mayank Raghuvanshi (16), son of Awadhesh Raghuvanshi; Dev Raghuvanshi (16), son of Rakesh Raghuvanshi; and Om Raghuvanshi (15), son of Satish Raghuvanshi. All three were residents of Ajleshwar village and the only sons in their respective families.