Centre steps in to probe death of EY India employee

New Delhi:The Central government on Thursday said it was investigating the circumstances that led to the death of a 26-year-old chartered accountant with Ernst and Young India, allegedly due to excessive work pressure.

The incident has ignited a wave of reactions across social media, where thousands of users have shared their condolences, horror stories, and calls for accountability in corporate environments where long hours are often normalised and glorified.

, “Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Anna Sebastian Perayil. A thorough investigation into the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment is underway. We are committed to ensuring justice and the Labour Ministry has officially taken up the complaint,” Minister of State for Ministry of Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje said in a post on X.

The minister was responding to a post by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who called the woman’s death very sad and “disturbing at many levels”. The former Union Minister also sought a probe into her family’s allegations of an exploitative work environment at Ernst and Young India.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the rising cases of young people dying due to stress required attention. “I hope Ernst and Young India will take corrective steps,” he tweeted.

Anna Sebastian Perayil, who joined E&Y in March, died on July 20 while undergoing treatment at a Pune hospital. She was admitted after she complained of exhaustion.

The incident came to light earlier this week after a letter written by her mother Anita Augustine to EY’s India head went viral.

In the letter, the Pune woman flagged how her daughter was allegedly under extreme work pressure, which in turn affected her health and ultimately led to her death. She also mentioned that no one from E&Y attended her daughter’s funeral.

Anita Augustine also said her daughter’s managers were “relentless” and the long, excruciating hours eventually took a toll.