Three of the nine children died at the children's home, while six breathed their last at the J K Lone hospital. Though the cause for the deaths is yet to be established, it is prima facie suspected to be dehydration. About a dozen children are still ailing at the Shishu Griha, located in the Gandhi Nagar area here, while three infants, aged around three months, have been hospitalised due to dehydration.

An official spokesman disclosed that Social Welfare Minister Banwari Lal Berwa had ordered an inquiry in to the deaths and transferred Shishu Griha Superintendent Rosy Antony to Barmer.

The inquiry had been assigned to R B Parmar and Roopa Gulwani, additional directors of the Social Welfare Department,which ran the Shishu Griha. They visited the home on September 16 after reports of the deaths and took note of negligence towards the children's health.

The first to die was one-week-old Akshat, on September 1, four days after he was brought to the home. Shweta, who arrived at the home in mid-July, died at the hospital on September 4. A few days later, an infant, given the name Kunti, died within hours after she was found abandoned at the children's home.

Three children died on September 14. Among them was two-month-old Amit, who had been sent to the home by the Child Welfare Board, Ajmer, on August 31. Maya, a new-born, admitted to the home on September 4, had to be hospitalised the same day. She died after a ten-day struggle. Karna, found at the home doorstep on September 9 was admitted to the hospital on September 13 and died a day later.

Four children were hospitalised on September 16. One of them died. The other three -- Harshit, Asha and Naina -- all three-months-old, are suffering fromdehydration.