Vasai (Maharashtra) [India], November 19 : Vasai Police has registered an FIR and arrested a teacher after a 12-year-old student died following a punishment of 100 sit-ups for arriving late to school.
Senior Police Inspector Dilip Ghuge confirmed the incident and said that the police will investigate further, holding the school administration accountable if negligence is found.
"Her post-mortem has been done in that. The post-mortem report has been received. Based on eyewitness statements, including those of school teachers and other students, a case FIR has been registered, and the teacher has been arrested... The inquiry is ongoing and at the initial stage. If there is negligence on their (the school administration's) part, then action will also be taken against them," Ghuge told ANI.
The police investigation revealed that the teacher punished the girl and other late students with sit-ups on November 8. The girl experienced discomfort and swelling, leading to hospitalisation.
"On 8th November, a girl came to school 10 minutes late. The school teacher punished her and the other students who came late by making them do sit-ups... When the girl went home, she started feeling some discomfort, with her legs swelling, as her mother told her. Later, her mother admitted her to the hospital, where she was given medicines and treatment. After treatment, she was admitted to JJ Hospital on 13th November. The girl's parents say that because of coming late to school, the teacher made her do sit-ups, and that is why our daughter lost her life," added Ghuge.
A 12-year-old student in Vasai, Maharashtra, died after being punished with 100 squats for being late to school. Her mother, Sheela Gaud, alleged the punishment led to her daughter's death, citing the school's negligence.
"Permission was not granted because my daughter was late. Because my child was late, she was made to do sit-ups with bags hanging from her, along with many other students. My daughter hasn't disclosed how many sit-ups she was required to do. However, according to what the children said, some did 100, others 50, and some 60. My daughter also did the same. When my daughter came home at five in the evening, she said that her back was hurting... Upon inquiring, she told me what happened... Since then, her problems kept increasing, and ultimately she died... First, we admitted her to Astha Hospital, where doctors said that they were giving her medicines, and she got nervous because of the sit-ups. They also told me her back has become stiff and she has no illness...," said Sheela Gaud.
The incident sparked outrage, with allegations of the school trying to evade responsibility. The mother claimed the school manager asked her to leave the hospital and refused to pay fees, despite her daughter being in critical condition.
"After this, I took her to Vijay Lakshmi Hospital, where they put my daughter in the ICU... Sir (school manager Ram Asrey Yadav) went there and asked about hospital fees... Later, the sir asked me to get out of there as soon as possible. So I told him that we cannot go anywhere from here until the doctor's fees are settled. I asked the sir to send us some money. On this, Sir replied that he had not a single penny... After talking with my husband, he said he had cash ready for the ambulance... The ambulance driver stopped in the middle and told us he would move ahead until he got the money. So, we asked the sir to send money through Google Pay, but he denied. After this, one doctor paid for an ambulance. Upon reaching there, we asked the sir to pay, but the sir ignored us. After this, the doctor asked us to return his money. ... Then the son of my brother-in-law took a loan from someone else and paid him.... While the paperwork was being done, sir started running away. Then people from my side dragged him and asked him to be present here since it's his responsibility...," said Sheela Gaud.
The school's actions have been widely criticised, with many calling for accountability and justice for the young student. The incident highlights concerns about corporal punishment and school safety in India.