Two minor boys drowned in a water body in Rajarhat’s Bhatenda where they had gone fishing on Tuesday afternoon.

Police have identified the two as Rajib Barik, 10, and Sandeep Ruidas, 12.

Family members and neighbours had initially started a search for the boys after one of their friends, who was at the other end of the water body, alerted them that the two had not surfaced after getting in the water to cast a net.

“A friend of Rajib and Sandeep, who was at some distance on the banks of the water body, rushed to their houses as they were not surfacing,” said a senior officer of the Bidhannagar PoliceCommissionerate.

The officer said a group of residents and members of a local club started looking for the boys.

After nearly half an hour, the residents found Barik and then Ruidas.

Both were taken to a primary health centre where doctors declared them dead.

The bodies have been sent to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death.

“Residents have told us that many would swim in the water body and then cast a net, as opposed to throwing the net from the banks, to catch more fish,” said the officer.

The net the boys had cast to catch fish was partially tangled in their legs, the officer said.

Family members of both boys told the cops that they had stepped out around noon after lunch.

“They did not tell them that they wanted to go fishing in the water body, which is not far from their homes,” the officer said.