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The Centre announced an investigation into allegations that long work hours and work pressure at an EY member firm contributed to the death of 26-year-old chartered accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil. That announcement, and a separate reported licensing inspection, are not findings that her work caused her death or that the allegations have been proved. Her family made the allegations; EY expressed condolences and denied allegations of work pressure.
Who was Anna Sebastian Perayil?
Perayil was a 26-year-old chartered accountant who worked in Pune for SR Batliboi, described in reporting as an EY member firm. EY’s India head was reported as saying she joined its Audit team on March 18, 2024. She died on July 20, 2024, after about four months in the role.
Her family told The Indian Express that she returned home late, collapsed and was declared dead on arrival at hospital. This is the family’s account of what happened.
What did her family allege, and how did EY respond?
The family’s allegations
In a letter to EY India head Rajiv Memani, Perayil’s mother, Anita Augustine, alleged that her daughter faced a heavy workload and long work hours that harmed her health and contributed to the tragedy. Those are the family’s allegations, not an established finding about the cause of death.
EY’s response
EY said it was deeply saddened by Perayil’s death and took the family’s correspondence seriously. The company also said it would continue working to provide a healthy workplace. Contemporary reporting said EY denied allegations of work pressure. These statements describe the company’s response; they do not independently establish what conditions Perayil experienced.
What did the Centre and NHRC do?
On September 19, 2024, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje said the ministry had taken up the complaint and was investigating allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment. Scroll.in reported her statement: “A thorough investigation into the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment is underway. We are committed to ensuring justice. We have officially taken up the complaint.”
Contemporaneous reporting by Business Standard said the Central Labour Commissioner sent EY management a notice seeking its explanation and that Maharashtra’s State Labour Department was directed to investigate and provide a report. On September 23, Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said state officials had been asked for information and that action would depend on the findings. A 7–10 day expected reporting timeline was reported at the time; it does not establish that a report was submitted.
On September 22, 2024, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance and sought a detailed report from the Union labour ministry. The Indian Express quoted the NHRC’s statement: “Reportedly, the mother has written a letter to the employer claiming that long hours of work had taken a heavy toll on her daughter’s physical, emotional and mental health, a charge denied by the company. The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment is getting the matter investigated.”
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These steps document official scrutiny of the allegations. They do not show that the ministry or NHRC concluded that work caused Perayil’s death, or that the allegations were substantiated.
What did the Pune labour inspection report?
The Indian Express reported on September 25, 2024, that a Pune labour commissionerate inspection found the firm had not renewed a Shops and Establishments licence since 2007 and issued a notice. This is a reported licensing-compliance matter. It is separate from the question of Perayil’s workload and does not establish what caused her death.
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Is there a final inquiry outcome?
As of October 8, 2026, a final investigation report or outcome was not verified in the available reporting and official records reviewed for this article. That means the final status cannot be stated here as either open or closed, and no conclusion about the allegations should be inferred from the inquiry’s announcement or the reported licensing notice.
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