Palghar (Maharashtra) [India], November 17 : A 12-year-old sixth-grade student died allegedly after being made to do 100 sit-ups as punishment for arriving late to school in Vasai, Palghar, Maharashtra.
A case of accidental death has been registered at the Sir JJ Marg police station in Mumbai, and the matter has now been transferred to the Waliv police station.
On November 8, Kajal and several other students, who had arrived late, were instructed by their teacher to perform sit-ups while carrying their school bags on their shoulders. After returning home, Kajal suddenly fell ill. As her condition worsened, her family rushed her to a local hospital, and doctors later referred her to JJ Hospital in Mumbai. Unfortunately, Kajal Gond passed away during treatment.
According to her mother, Sheela Gaud, Kajal had complained of pain after being punished with the sit-ups, and her condition worsened subsequently, ultimately leading to her tragic death.
The mother stated that the children at the Vasai school performed sit-ups of 100, 50, and 60 repetitions, and her daughter did the same as everyone else in the school.
"My daughter didn't tell me, but whatever the children said, some said 100, some 50, some 60, she did it. She said, I did it as much as everyone else did...When my daughter came from school, she said at 5 in the evening, she said, Mummy, my back is aching...She said, I'm a little late. It may be 2 minutes or 3 minutes.... It won't be more than that....She made me sit on a stool because I was so late. Since then, my daughter's problems have increased.... Today, my daughter is no more," Gaud told ANI.
The doctors at JJ Hospital informed the deceased student's family that Kajal had asthma, and performing sit-ups while carrying the added weight of her bag caused internal bleeding, which ultimately led to her death.