Kajal Gaud, a 13-year-old Class 8 student, died after being forced to do 100 sit-ups with her heavy schoolbag on her back—for arriving just 10 minutes late to Shri Hanumant Vidya Mandir in Vasai on November 8.
The teacher punished Kajal and other latecomers together. Soon after, Kajal complained of severe back pain from neck to waist. She could barely move. Her mother says she struggled at home and her condition rapidly worsened. She was first taken to a local hospital in Vasai, then shifted to another facility, and finally airlifted to JJ Hospital in Mumbai. Despite treatment, she died around 11 PM on Friday.
Kajal had asthma, and her family believes the extreme physical strain triggered a fatal reaction. Waliv police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and are awaiting the post-mortem report to determine the exact cause.
The school, approved only up to Class 8, was illegally running Classes 9 and 10. Education officer Pandurang Galange is probing and MNS workers locked the school gates in protest. School official Vikas Yadav says they will take responsibility if the autopsy links the death to the punishment. Corporal punishment has been banned in Maharashtra schools since 2009.
