Patna: A state disaster response force (SDRF) team on Sunday carried out search operations in Ganga to fish out bodies of three students who had allegedly drowned in the river on Saturday.

The three students from Gardanibagh had gone for a swim in the river, but till Saturday evening none of them returned home. The family members of the three boys on Saturday evening approached Pirbhore police station and the cops, along with the SDRF, carried out search operations on Sunday morning.

According to Pirbhore police station house officer Gulam Sarwar, the SDRF carried out the search operation in the diara areas that fall under Sonepur.

Sarwar said: "We have recovered the clothes and shoes of the three students who were missing since Saturday evening from the diara. A dog squad was also pressed into service to trace the boys, but till Sunday evening none of them could be rescued. The SDRF on Monday will carry out search operations again."

The three Class X students - Rahul Kumar, Vinay Kumar and Saideep - are residents of Alkapuri in Gardanibagh.

Sources said on Saturday the three boys left home saying they were going to see Saideep's grandfather Ranjit Pratap Singh, who is admitted at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). Saideep's motorcycle was recovered from the PMCH premises.

The boys after meeting Ranjit Pratap Singh left for Kalighat saying they were going to take bath in the Ganga.

Sources said the boys at Kalighat took a boat to reach the other side of the river. Till Saturday afternoon their mobile phone tower locations showed they were at the diara, but after that their cellphones were found switched off. The trio were around 15 years of age and had appeared for the matriculation examination conducted by Bihar School Examination Board.

Kumar Satyajit, one of the friends of Saideep, said: "On Saturday morning the three left the house saying they were going to meet Saideep's grandfather admitted at PMCH and after that they will go to the Ganga to take bath."

Satyajit said the trio even asked other friends to come along with them but they denied. Saideep's father works as a manager at a showroom in Patna, Rahul's father drives an autorickshaw, while Vicky's father is a land broker.