Students punished with 100 sit-ups at ashram school in Palghar; probe launched

Students of a government-run ashram school for tribals in Maharashtra`s Palghar were allegedly made to do 100 sit-ups by a teacher as punishment, prompting the authorities to initiate an inquiry, an official said on Monday, reported the PTI.

The alleged incident occurred at the government secondary and higher secondary ashram school in Bathane village of Vasai taluka in Palghar district, the official said.

According to sources, a teacher ordered both boys and girls to do 100 sit-ups as punishment, and one of them had to be hospitalised, as per the PTI.

The affected students` ages and their grades were not specified.

Satyam Gandhi, a project officer with the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP), said an inquiry team has already been dispatched to investigate the allegations, according to the PTI.

He said that a show-cause notices were served to the teacher and the headmaster, and appropriate action would be taken against them as per the rules, pending the outcome of the inquiry, the news agency reported.

Pune hospital flouted emergency care rules by demanding deposit, says panel probing woman`s death

Meanwhile, the state-appointed committee investigating the death of a pregnant woman in Pune has concluded that Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital violated regulations by demanding a hefty advance payment before admitting her.

According to PTI, the inquiry was ordered after allegations surfaced that the woman was denied emergency care over a Rs 10-lakh deposit, a condition that goes against the guidelines for charitable hospitals.

The woman, Tanisha Bhise, was the wife of the personal secretary to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Amit Gorkhe.

She was allegedly kept waiting for several hours at the hospital.

When admission was not granted owing to the non-payment of the deposit, Bhise was eventually shifted to another facility, where she tragically died after giving birth to twin daughters.

A four-member inquiry committee, led by Dr Radhakishan Pawar, Joint Director of the Maharashtra Health Department, submitted its findings to the Pune Police on Monday, reported PTI.

The report pointed out that charitable hospitals are obligated under the Bombay Public Trust Act to admit and stabilise patients in emergency situations without delay or precondition.

The panel stated, “In emergencies, hospitals must immediately provide essential, life-saving treatment without waiting for financial assurances. Demanding a deposit in such situations contravenes the rules for charitable institutions.”

(with PTI inputs)