Bengaluru: Four boys from Manasa Orphanage, run by Dr. Madhukar Hossur, drowned after they sneaked out of the orphanage and went for swim at a lake on Monday.

The deceased have been identfied as Yeshwanth (10), Narasimhamurthy (16), and two brothers Aadhi and Ajay, 10 to 12 years of age.

The four boys went for a swim at a lake, nearly a kilometre away from their hostel in Kanajenahalli Gate in Rangasthala in Chikkaballapura.

It is said that the bodies of the children were holding each other’s’ hands even in their death.

Aadhi and Ajay who belonged to Manchenahalli village in Chikkaballapura, were admitted to the orphanage only 10 days ago s their father who worked in a bar always quarreled with their mother. Narasimhamurthy was from Madhugiri in Tumakuru. The police are yet to ascertain the background of Yeshwanth.

Police said that they the boys must have drowned at 2 pm or 2:30 pm. One must have started drowning and others went to rescue.

The bodies were shifted to Chikkaballapur Government Hospital for the postmortem.

The police have arrested the supervisor, Shivu (32) of the orphanage and is booked under Section 304-A, causing death due to negligence. Further investigations are on.