13-year-old Vasai schoolgirl who died after 100 sit-ups had anaemia

School authorities have claimed they were aware of Kajal’s “poor health condition” and had urged her parents to seek medical attention.

MUMBAI: The 13-year-old Vasai schoolgirl who died a week after allegedly being made to perform 100 sit-ups as punishment for arriving late had anaemia, according to her preliminary post-mortem findings. Anaemia is a condition in which the body does not produce enough healthy red blood cells, leading to fatigue, weakness and, in severe cases, organ stress.

The schoold insisted that the teacher who administered the punishment, Mamta Yadav, did not realise Kajal was among the group.(Unsplash/Representational Image)

Kajal Gaur, a Class VI student of Shri Hanumant Vidya Mandir (Hanumant High School), had reportedly been punished on 8 November along with a group of nearly 50 late-coming students, all of whom were asked to do sit-ups with their school bags on their backs.

School authorities have claimed they were aware of Kajal’s “poor health condition” and had urged her parents to seek medical attention, but insisted that the teacher who administered the punishment, Mamta Yadav, did not realise Kajal was among the group. “The teacher could not spot her because of her short height,” principal Ramashray Yadav said, adding that Mamta had been with the school since its inception in 2009. “She has been suspended pending investigation, and we are cooperating with the police and the education department’s inquiry.”

Kajal’s family has rejected the school’s version. Her father, Sikandar, a labourer, denied receiving any warning from the school about her health and described the punishment itself as unacceptable. “If they knew she was weak, why would they make her do something so harsh? And why should any child be made to do this?” he said. He also alleged that “the school’s CCTV cameras have been disconnected”.

Sikandar said Kajal complained of severe body ache after returning from school on 8 November. The following day, she collapsed at home, after which her mother rushed her to Astha Hospital in Vasai West. Doctors reportedly diagnosed her with seizures and referred her to another facility, Lakshmi Hospital. She was shifted to JJ Hospital on Thursday as her condition deteriorated, and died there on Saturday.

A preliminary cause-of-death report accessed by HT lists pulmonary oedema and splenomegaly, an enlarged spleen often associated with anaemia, as the medical findings. The final opinion has been reserved pending chemical analysis of her viscera.

Waliv police have recorded an accidental death report (ADR) and are awaiting the forensic results to determine whether to register an FIR. “If the chemical analysis indicates that the death was linked to physical stress or exertion, we will file an FIR,” said senior police inspector Dilip Guge.

Kajal’s death has triggered anger among parents and residents, many of whom gathered outside the school last week accusing the management of routinely using corporal punishment. They also alleged that the school was operating classes up to Grade X without proper permissions.

The state education department has begun an inquiry, while police have called the teacher and school management to record statements. Corporal punishment is a punishable offence under the Right to Education Act.

Leaders of the Shiv Sena (UBT) visited the family on Saturday evening and assured support, urging police to take action against the school and the teacher named in the complaint.