The Ministry of Labour and Employment has initiated an investigation into the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old chartered accountant with Ernst & Young (EY) India, who allegedly passed away due to excessive work pressure. The tragedy has sparked outrage across social media following a viral letter written by her mother, Anita Augustine, addressed to the head of EY India.
Minister of State for Labour, Shobha Karandlaje, expressed deep condolences and confirmed that the ministry is committed to ensuring a thorough investigation. “We are committed to ensuring justice and have officially taken up the complaint,” Karandlaje stated in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Anna Sebastian, who joined EY India in March, passed away on July 20 after being admitted to a Pune hospital due to exhaustion. In the viral letter, her mother highlighted that her daughter was subjected to extreme work pressure, leading to a deterioration in her health. She also criticized EY India for not attending Anna’s funeral.
EY India responded with a statement emphasizing their commitment to employee well-being. “We place the highest importance on the well-being of all employees and will continue to find ways to improve and provide a healthy workplace for our 100,000 people across EY member firms in India,” the company said.
This incident has reignited the conversation around corporate work culture, with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar urging companies to take corrective measures to address rising stress levels among young professionals.
