• Sixth-grade student dies after being forced to do 100 sit-ups
• Some sources say the child had pre-existing health conditions

A sixth-grade student in Maharashtra, India, died nearly a week after being forced to perform 100 sit-ups for arriving late to school, according to media reports

Authorities have launched an urgent investigation into the incident

The student’s mother said her daughter experienced severe pain in her neck and back after the punishment and was unable to get up, noting that the teacher made her perform the exercises with her school bag strapped to her back, describing it as an “inhuman punishment” that led to her death

The mother added, according to a local newspaper, that the teacher defended the punishment by saying parents sometimes complain that children are not learning despite paying fees, but emphasized that forcing students to do sit-ups with bags on their backs was unacceptable

Pandurang Galange, the regional education officer, confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances of the death. A teacher at the school said the exact number of sit-ups the student performed is unknown, and it cannot be confirmed whether that directly caused her death

Sachin More, a local party leader, noted that the student had pre-existing health issues but was still subjected to the punishment. Another teacher also said it remains unclear whether the exercises contributed to her death

Following the incident, party members staged protests in the area, demanding accountability from the school and strict action against those responsible