A tragic incident has occurred in Mumbai, where a Class 6 student died on Friday night, almost a week after she was allegedly subjected to a severe form of corporal punishment at her private school in Sativali, Palghar district of Maharashtra. The girl’s mother has come forward with harrowing claims, alleging that the “inhuman punishment” was the direct cause of her daughter’s death, prompting a formal investigation by education authorities.

The student, whose name is reported to be Anshika Gaud, passed away at a hospital in Mumbai on Friday night. Block Education Officer Pandurang Galange confirmed that an inquiry is being conducted into the death. He stated that the investigation would reveal the exact cause of death, though no official police complaint had been filed at the time of the report.

Allegations of ‘Inhuman Punishment’

The incident reportedly took place on November 8, when a total of five students, including Anshika, were made to perform 100 sit-ups each as punishment for arriving late to school.

Anshika’s mother provided distressing details, claiming her daughter was forced to perform the sit-ups while wearing her heavy school bag on her back. She asserted that this was an “inhuman punishment” given by the teacher and that her child’s health deteriorated rapidly afterward.

“After the punishment, she experienced severe pain in her neck and back, and could not get up,” the mother stated.

She confronted the teacher after learning of the incident and her daughter’s condition. According to the mother, the teacher justified the punishment by arguing that parents otherwise accuse them of not teaching the students despite paying fees. The grieving mother concluded: “I told the teacher that punishing the students does not mean forcing them to perform sit-ups with bags on their back. The teacher gave my daughter inhuman punishment, which led to her death.”

Pre-existing Health Concerns and Denial

Members of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have brought further context to the incident. Sachin More, an MNS leader from Vasai, claimed that the deceased student had pre-existing health problems and should never have been subjected to such intense physical strain.

A teacher from the school, however, offered a cautious statement, suggesting uncertainty regarding the direct link between the punishment and the death: “It is not known how many sit-ups this child had done. One really does not know if she died due to it or otherwise.”

The Block Education Officer’s inquiry is critical in establishing the exact medical cause of Anshika’s death and determining whether the extreme physical punishment violated the strict prohibition of corporal punishment in Indian schools under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

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