Bhubaneswar, July 2: In a sensational case of murder, the bruised bodies of four children, including three girls, were fished out from a village pond in Deogarh district of Orissa today.

The four dead children have been identified as Aliza Deb (10), Sagarika Deb (10), Santoshini Deb (9) and Dolamani Deb (8).

Yesterday, five children from Rangamatia village under Deogarh police station had gone to the upper primary school at Dobolipathar, about 3 km from their village.

The children studied in Class III and Class IV in the upper primary school.

While one of them stayed back to play cricket near the school, the other four decided to return to their village.

However, after the children did not return home till late last night, a villager lodged a missing persons’ case at the Deogarh police station, which was later converted to a case of murder.

A search was mounted by the villagers and the bodies, with the faces disfigured, were found floating in a pond being built under the food-for-work programme.

The bloated bodies of the children bore injury marks with blood oozing out from the mouths of the deceased. They were later brought to the district headquarters hospital here for post-mortem.

The deputy superintendent of police, circle inspector and other police officers have rushed to the spot. Policemen have been deployed near the village after the incident.

The children belonged to three different families of the village.

Though it initially appeared to be a case of murder over political reasons, police said they would unearth the truth after they get the post-mortem report.