A 13-year-old girl from Vasai died on Friday night, a week after she was allegedly forced to do 100 sit-ups with her schoolbag on her back for arriving ten minutes late to school. The incident took place at Shri Hanumant Vidya Mandir in Vasai (East), and the girl's family has blamed the school and the class teacher for her death.

The girl, Kajal Gaud, was a Class 6 student. She died at around 11 pm on Friday, which also happened to be Children's Day. Her death has created shock and anger among locals and parents in the area.

Punishment for being late to school

The incident happened on November 8, when Kajal reached school late by ten minutes. Her teacher allegedly punished her by making her do 100 sit-ups while still carrying her schoolbag. Some other students who were late were also punished, according to the family.

When Kajal returned home that day, she told her mother that she was not feeling well. She soon complained of intense back pain, from her neck downward. Her mother said Kajal struggled to move freely because of the pain.

Health worsened quickly

Kajal's condition worsened over the next few days. Her family first took her to a Vasai hospital. When her health did not improve, she was shifted to another local hospital. As her situation became serious, she was moved to JJ Hospital in Mumbai, where she died on Friday.

Her mother said Kajal's health started failing soon after she came home from school on the day of the punishment.

Police action and investigation

The Waliv police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR). A senior officer said they are waiting for the post-mortem report before deciding on further action and recording statements. A local MNS functionary, Sachin More, said the girl reportedly had asthma or breathing problems, which may have made the punishment unbearable for her. This claim is yet to be medically confirmed.

School locked by local workers

After Kajal's death, workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) reached the school and locked it in protest, according to The Times of India report. They demanded strict action against the teacher and the school management.

Her mother repeated that the punishment caused her daughter severe pain and led to her death.

A school official, Vikas Yadav, said the school was ready to accept its fault if the post-mortem report proved that the punishment caused Kajal's death. The official said they wanted to wait for clear medical findings before commenting further.

Education authorities step in

The Vasai education officer, Pandurang Galange, said the department had begun collecting all details about the case. He added that action would be taken once the facts were confirmed.

NCP (SP) leader Rohit Sasane demanded that the school authorities be booked for negligence and endangering a child's life.

Illegal classes in the school

Locals also pointed out another issue. They said the school had permission to teach only up to Class 8, but had enrolled students for Classes 9 and 10 as well. The school management confirmed this.

In Vasai-Virar, some schools admit students for Class 9 and 10 even without permission. Later, they shift these students to approved schools. Education officer Galange said this practice was illegal and promised action.

Kajal's death has raised serious questions about student safety, school discipline methods, and illegal school practices. Parents and locals are now demanding strict action and proper accountability as police wait for medical reports to confirm the exact cause of her death.

(With inputs from agencies)

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