The victims Paras Deepe, Darshan Shankar Bacha Shankar and Arjun Singh, all aged 10 years, were Class 4 students of Aditya Birla Public School, Korpana, some 54 km away from the district headquarters, he said.

The boys had gone to the pond to play after attending a Republic Day programme in the village, and had ventured into the water for a swim, the official said.

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When the children did not return home in the evening, the parents started looking for them. Shoes and clothes of the boys were found next to the pond, he said.

"The boys could not be traced due to poor light on Thursday evening. Following a search operation, three bodies were found in the pond on Friday," sub-divisional police officer Sushilkumar Nayak said, adding that a case has been registered in this regard.

In the meanwhile, the Thane District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has ordered a construction firm and its partner to pay Rs 30,000 compensation to 45 persons each, who bought flats in their scheme at Vasai in Maharashtra in 1986, for failing to execute sale deeds against the purchase of properties all these years.

President of the forum, V C Premchandani, and its member Poonam V Maharshi ordered Paranjape Construction Company and its partner Jayant Moreshwar Paranjape, to jointly make the payment within 30 days of the order that was passed on January 13.

Advocate Ashwini Sarjine appeared on behalf of the complainants. However, the opponents did not remain present for the hearing and the matter was decided ex-parte against them.

In her submission, Sarjine told the forum that in 1986 the complainants had booked flats, each measuring 410 sq ft, in the company's housing scheme at Vasai in Palghar district. They had paid Rs 95,000 each as booking amount for the purchase of flats.

She said that even as the complainants started living in the flats 26 years ago, the company has so far not executed the sale deed. Therefore, the complainants had issued a legal notice to the opponents for not executing the sale deed or alternatively refund the amount as per the market rate of the properties. But since the opponent did not comply with the notice, the present complaint has been filed.

In its order, the forum pulled up the opponents, saying they indulged in "unfair trade practice",

The opponents failed to appear for the proceedings and did not file their defence. Hence, the contentions made by the complainants against opponents are proved against them, it said.

The forum asked the opponents to pay Rs 30,000 to each complainant towards their litigation charges. They were also directed to execute the sale deed.

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