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Authorities have opened an investigation, while parents and campaigners are demanding accountability from the school and its staff.
A 12-year-old student in Maharashtra has died a week after she was reportedly made to perform dozens of sit-ups for arriving late to class.
According to Indian media reports, cited by Express, the Class 6 pupil at a private school in Sativali, on the outskirts of Mumbai, was among five students ordered to do 100 sit-ups on November 8 for late attendance.
Her mother told local reporters that the exercise was made significantly harder because the girl had been forced to keep her school bag on her back.
In the days that followed, the child’s health deteriorated. She was taken to a Mumbai hospital, where she died on the night of November 15.
The girl, identified as Anshika, had reportedly been dealing with pre-existing health conditions, a point that local political representatives say was known to the school.
It is unclear how many sit-ups the girl ended up doing.
Questions over discipline
Pandurang Galange, the Block Education Officer responsible for school oversight in the area, confirmed that a formal inquiry has begun.
Speaking to the media, the girl’s mother described her daughter’s rapid decline.”
The mother of Anshika told the media, that after the punishment, the daughter experienced severe pain in her neck and back, and could not get up.
She recounted confronting the teacher, who allegedly defended the decision by arguing that strict measures were necessary because “parents otherwise complain about teaching standards despite paying fees.”
Pressure for accountability
The case has again drawn attention to corporal punishment in Indian classrooms.
Although banned under national and state guidelines, rights groups say punitive practices still surface in many schools, often without consequences.
Advocates argue the Sativali incident shows how vulnerable children remain, especially when disciplinary actions ignore health concerns. Critics say the reported requirement to wear a heavy school bag during the sit-ups was particularly dangerous.
Local political party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has warned it will prevent the school from reopening unless a criminal case is lodged, intensifying pressure on authorities to act.
Possibly rhabdomyolysis
As mentioned, the cause of death has not yeat been confirmed, but considering the events leading up to the death, a possible explanation could be a condition called rhabdomyolysis.
It’s a condition, where muscle tissue is broken down and intracellular components, including myoglobin, electrolytes, and enzymes like creatine phosphokinase, are released into the blood stream.
Common causes for the condition include extreme exertion, especially in unaccustomed individuals.
Sources: Indian media reports, Express
