Girl in India, 12, dies after doing 100 sit-ups as punishment for being 10 minutes late to school

A 12-year-old girl passed away in India about a week after a teacher allegedly made her do 100 sit-ups as punishment for reaching school 10 minutes late.

She was allegedly forced to wear her schoolbag while doing so.

The girl, Kajal Gond, began feeling severe pain in her lower back shortly after completing the sit-ups on Nov. 8, India's NDTV reported.

Her health worsened when she got home that day, and continued to decline even after she was admitted to a local hospital.

She was finally transferred to a hospital in Mumbai for treatment, but died a few days later on Nov. 14 — India's Children's Day.

Did sit-ups while carrying schoolbag

Following Gond's passing, her family alleged that her sudden health problems and eventual death were caused by the "inhuman punishment", as quoted by India Today.

Her mother also claimed that the girl complained of severe neck and back pain after being punished, and was unable to get up.

"She was crying in pain and kept saying she could not move her back," Gond's father said, reported The Mirror.

"No child should be treated this way for being late."

According to India Today, when Gond's mother confronted the teacher who gave the punishment, the teacher defended their actions.

The teacher allegedly said that students get punished because parents accuse teachers of not teaching despite taking fees.

Outrage in the community

Gond's school, Shree Hanumant Vidya Mandir High School, has come under heavy criticism following the incident.

Parents and the local community have demanded strict action against the school and the teacher.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), a political party in the region, warned that the school will stay closed until a criminal case is filed against those responsible, NDTV reported.

The party claimed that four other students besides Gond were also made to do 100 sit-ups each that same day for being late to school.

A local MNS leader also said that Gond had pre-existing health issues.

However, a teacher from the school said that it was unclear exactly how many sit-ups Gond did that day, and whether the punishment directly caused her death.

Corporal punishment in schools is officially banned in India, but continues to be practiced.

The authorities have since launched an inquiry into the incident to determine the cause of death.

Top images from Prameya News 7 and Saahas Samachar