Mandya(PTI): Police on Sunday said they recovered the bodies of three girls who drowned in a canal, while another is feared missing in Srirangapatna taluk.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening at Mandyadakoppalu village, and the deceased were aged between 13 and 14 years, police said.

According to officials, they were students of an Islamic seminary in Mysuru.

A group of 15 people, mostly students and a teacher, had come on a visit when six of them, including the teacher, were swept away by strong currents. Two of them, including the teacher, were later rescued.

"The bodies of three girls were recovered after an extensive search operation by rescue teams and residents. One girl is still missing," police said.

Rescue teams continue to search for the missing girl, they added.

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Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."

The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.

The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.

The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.

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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.

In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".

They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."

Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.

The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.