A 12-year-old girl has died in India after her teacher allegedly forced her to perform 100 sit-ups as a punishment for being late.
The death has sparked outrage among parents and community members with several other students reportedly subjected to the same punishment for arriving late to school.
Kajal Gond, a sixth-grader at Shree Hanumant Vidya Mandir High School in Vasai, in the western state of Maharashtra, reportedly began suffering severe back pain after completing the corporal punishment while carrying her schoolbag.
Her condition worsened at home, leading to hospitalisation in Nalasopara.
She was later transfered to Mumbai‘s JJ Hospital, where she died during treatment.
Family members say the punishment directly caused her health to deteriorate.
‘She was crying in pain and kept saying she could not move her back,’ said her father, Sunil Gond.
‘No child should be treated this way for being late.’
A 12-year-old girl has died in India after her teacher allegedly forced her to perform 100 sit-ups as a punishment for being late
The death has reignited debate in India over physical punishment in schools, which remains officially banned but continues in practice
Local residents and parents have demanded strict action against the teacher and the school administration.
‘This is not discipline, it is cruelty,’ said community activist Meena Patil.
‘We send our children to school to learn, not to suffer.’
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), a regional political party, warned the school will remain closed until criminal charges are filed.
‘Justice must be served, and those responsible must face the law,’ said MNS spokesperson Rajesh Kadam.
The death has reignited debate in India over physical punishment in schools, which remains officially banned but continues in practice.
In July, around 40 students at a primary school in Usilampatti boycotted classes delivered by a teacher who used corporal punishment against students who were late.
Education advocates are calling for stronger enforcement of child protection laws and better training for teachers.
