Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde on Saturday met a 13-year-old girl from Kolhapur district who had to be hospitalised after the principal of her
school asked her to do 500 sit-ups by way of punishment. The girl, a std 8th student, has been admitted to a hospital in Mumbai.

Tawde met the girl today and assured her of government's support, an official statement said. The girl will be provided free treatment, and shifted to a nearby school if she doesn't want to continue at her present school, it said. Her father, who works in the same school as a peon, too will be transferred to a nearby school if he wishes so, it added.

Chandgad police in Kolhapur district had arrested Ashwini Devan, the 45-year-old school principal, in this matter after a complaint was lodged. She was released on bail. On November 24, Devan allegedly asked eight students of std 8th at the privately-run Shri Bhavashwari Sandesh Vidyalay in Kanoor Budrook village of Chandgad tehsil to do 500 sit-ups for not doing project work.

One of them, a girl, took ill while doing sit-ups. She was later shifted to a hospital. On December 10, a police complaint was lodged against the principal.