Palghar: A 13-year-old student from Bhagini Samaj Vidyalaya in Palghar was hospitalized after being subjected to a harsh punishment for arriving five minutes late to school on January 17. The incident has drawn strong reactions from the student's parents, particularly with her 10th-grade board exams approaching.

The student, a 10th-grade pupil from the village of Tembhode in Palghar, arrived five minutes late to school that morning. In response, the school principal reportedly instructed the girl to perform 50 push-ups as a punishment. Following the punishment, the student began experiencing severe pain in her legs and thighs, along with stomach cramps. She later started vomiting, prompting her parents to rush her to a private hospital in Palghar for treatment, where she has been receiving treatment for the past three days.

On January 19, the parents filed a formal complaint at the Palghar police station. Police Inspector Anant Parad summoned both parties for questioning The victim’s mother also reported that the same student had been punished previously for not wearing shoes to school, when she was forced to run on the playground during her menstrual period, which caused further distress.

Although the incident was initially serious enough to warrant criminal charges, the student later contacted her parents from the hospital and asked them not to pursue the complaint. Consequently, the parents withdrew the complaint, and no formal action was taken. Inspector Parad advised the school management to ensure that such incidents do not occur again, especially after previous complaints regarding corporal punishment, including reports of male teachers allegedly using a steel rod to punish students.

Principal Pranita Vartak confirmed that she visited the student in the hospital and stated that the issue had been resolved amicably. She assured that such incidents would not happen again.

The student’s parents expressed concern over the negative impact this punishment could have on their daughter’s health, particularly with the board exams just 20 days away. They said that their daughter's well-being has been significantly affected by the incident.