Ernst and Young employee in Australia commits suicide

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EXCLUSIVE: Inside newlywed Ernst and Young building fall victim's tragic love story as she leaves behind a husband who 'adored' her - as friend reveals auditor, 27, complained about racism in Australia and 'mean' colleagues

• Aishwarya Venkatachalam, 27, died at her work in Sydney's CBD on August 27 
• The EY senior auditor fell to her death from 11th floor roof of the office building 
• Friend Neeti Bisht told Daily Mail Australia she mentioned 'mean colleagues'
• Ms Bisht said the she was a 'very good friend' and 'impossible not to love'
• It comes as photos emerge of the accountant's wedding in January last year  
• For confidential 24-hour support in Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14
• Do you know more? Email us on [email protected] 

By TITA SMITH and KEVIN AIRS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

PUBLISHED: 11:50 EDT, 5 September 2022 | UPDATED: 22:53 EDT, 5 September 2022

 

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A newlywed who fell to her death from the 11th floor of the Ernst & Young building in Sydney's CBD recently complained about 'racism' in Australia and 'mean colleagues', her close friend has revealed. 

The development in the tragic case comes as loved ones shared photos of Aishwarya Venkatachalam's spectacular wedding in January last year, as they struggle to come to terms with her death. 

Ms Venkatachalam, 27, an Indian national, fell from a terrace on the roof of the building's 11th floor at about 12.20am on Saturday, August 27, after returning to the office following a work function at the nearby Ivy nightclub. 

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Three good Samaritans told Daily Mail Australia they found her 'crying her eyes out' in a nearby car park about 30 minutes before the fall. 

Close friend Neeti Bisht said Ms Venkatachalam, a bridesmaid at her wedding, moved to Australia 11 months ago to take up a position as a senior auditor in real estate assurance for Ernst & Young, now known as EY.

'She was a happy soul and was finding her feet in Australia ... She mentioned how mean some of her colleagues were,' Ms Bisht told Daily Mail Australia.

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Aishwarya Venkatachalam, 27, (pictured left) died on August 27 after falling from terrace deck on the roof of the 11th storey of the Ernst & Young building in Sydney's CBD

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Newlyweds: Photos posted online show fall victim Ms Venkatachalam posing alongside her husband Nakul at a party before their wedding in January 2021 

Ms Bisht said Ms Venkatachalam told her she was dealing with bullying and racism at work, but she was otherwise thriving in Australia. 

'I think things had just started to brew then... Her colleagues and the racist angle was at play,' she said. 

An Ernst & Young spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the company 'has a zero tolerance response to bullying, harassment and racism, and we take any allegations that relate to these issues very seriously'.

'The review we launched last week following this tragedy is ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment further until it is complete,' she said.

'We are continuing to offer all our people counselling and support.'

There is no suggestion Ernst & Young, which is now known as EY, or the woman's co-workers, were in any way responsible for her death.

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Neeti Bisht (left) is pictured with Ms Venkatachalam during her trip to Sydney in April this year - the last time they saw each other in person

A 'doting' husband and friend who was like a 'sister' 

Ms Bisht said Ms Venkatachalam was 'like a little sister' to her, describing her as a 'very good friend', 'career driven', and a 'breath of fresh air' who was 'impossible not to love'. 

Ms Bisht said she was in a loving relationship with her husband 'who absolutely doted on her'.  

'She was also career driven and balanced her personal and professional life pretty well,' she said. 

While her death has left corporate Australia reeling and sparked debate about work hours within major consulting firms, Ms Bisht said her friend was not concerned about putting in overtime because 'she used to work longer hours in India'.

She said Ms Venkatachalam seemed to be 'more settled' in Australia the last time they spoke on July 30, when Ms Bisht phoned from the airport to say goodbye before leaving for the US, where she now lives.  

However, Ms Bisht said their conversation was brief, that she seemed happy and they 'didn't get much time to discuss work'. 

Just over a month after their final conversation, she was devastated to learn her friend's life has been cut short.

'She was a very good friend,' Ms Bisht said.

'I absolutely loved how innocent she was. She was a breath of fresh air and adorable. I am so shocked and so saddened.'

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Ms Bisht said she was shocked and saddened to learn about Ms Venkatachalam's death

Recent wedding, then tragedy

Pictures have emerged of Ms Venkatachalam's traditional Tamil Brahman wedding in Chennai, India, in January 2021 when she married her husband, Nakul.

He was on a flight from Singapore to Sydney when she died and learned of the tragedy when he stepped off the plane.

Ms Venkatachalam wore a sari and Nakul a cowl kurta as they beamed for the camera at a Mehendi party - a pre-wedding ceremony in which the bride's hand and feet are painted with henna to bless her before the big day.

Other pictures show the couple standing side-by-side, smiling at loved ones at Avigna Hall on the second day of their three-day wedding celebrations for a Vratham function.

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A second post a week later shows the couple on their second day of wedding celebrations during a Vratham function

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The couple are pictured partaking in the ceremony about 18 months ago with their loved ones. A Vratham ceremony is where the Groom takes blessings from his father and forefathers and a sacred thread with turmeric is tied on the groom's hand

AISHWARYA'S TRAGIC TIMELINE OF EVENTS 

2015: Graduates from Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce in Pune, India

2019: Joins Grant Thornton LLP in Bengaluru, India, as an Audit Senior 

January 2021: Marries husband Nakul in Chennai, India

November 2021: Joins EY in Sydney as a Senior Auditor

August 26, 2022: Confusion remains over Aishwarya's final movements. 

Conflicting reports say she left her office at either midday, 5.30pm or 7.30pm to join the EY social club drinks function at The Ivy nightclub. 

CCTV is said to show her returning to the office at about 7.30pm. She is said to have been seen moving between offices in the EY building. 

At 8pm she spoke on the phone to her husband in Singapore before he got on a flight back to Sydney. 

Several hours later, she is found allegedly drunk and distraught in a city centre car park just before midnight. 

She claims to have been kicked out of a work function and is unable to access her office to get her house key. Bystanders help back to her EY office building.

August 27, 2022:  At about 12.20am she falls to her death from the terrace on the roof of the 10th floor. 

Later that day, her husband returns to Sydney from a trip to Singapore to be told of the tragedy.

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Ms Venkatachalum's uncle, based in Canada, told Daily Mail Australia the family is struggling to come to terms with her death.

He said his niece gained an accounting degree in India before marrying, settling down, then relocating to Australia last November.

'She was very educated, beautiful and brilliant,' he said.

'She was a very good lady, she was brought up very well. I do not know how this could happen.

'Her mother and father are very caring and kind. They were supporting her, and she was supporting of them.' 

A NSW Police spokesman said a report continues to be prepared for the coroner, and was unable to comment on when her body will be repatriated to India.  

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Ms Venkatachalum's uncle told Daily Mail Australia the family is struggling to come to terms with her death. Pictured: The skyscraper in Sydney's CBD

Ms Venkatachalam completed a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance in 2015 at Symbiosis College of Arts & Commerce, in Pune, western India. 

She then took on the role of audit senior at American accounting firm Grant Thornton in their Bengaluru office in 2019.

She spent almost three years with the company before moving to EY. 

Ms Venkatachalam described herself as a 'great' peer in the workplace and boasted of her prowess in crunching numbers.

'Audit senior with an expertise in areas of auditing related to Real Estate, Employee Benefit Plans, NFP, CIP and Retail,' she wrote on the page.

'Been in the field of Audit for 4+ years and there hasn't been a day where I really had a tough time dealing with numbers, because that's not what we do.

'Apart from being the Auditor this profile speaks about, also a great colleague to be around with during the peak busy seasons and also during normal days.' 

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At about 12.20am Ms Venkatachalam fell from the terrace deck on the roof of the building's 10th floor

'Crying her eyes out' 

Three women told Daily Mail Australia they found Ms Venkatachalam 'crying her eyes out' in a nearby car park just before midnight last Friday.

The good Samaritans said Ms Venkatachalam was sobbing uncontrollably, apparently having a panic attack.

She said she had been kicked out of a work function and needed her house key from her office to go home - but told the women that building security would not let her in to get it.

She was then said to have been helped her back to the office tower block by other passers-by. 

She fell to her death just minutes later.

'I'm so shattered for her,' one of the women who spoke to her in the nearby car park told Daily Mail Australia. 'I wish I could have done more.'

The encounter is another crucial piece in the confusing jigsaw of the dead woman's final movements after several conflicting reports.

It was initially claimed the woman went for 'EY Social Club' drinks at the nearby Ivy nightclub between 5.30pm and 7.30pm before returning to the office.

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Ms Venkatachalam's uncle said his niece was 'beautiful and brilliant'

It was later claimed that she did not leave work until 7.30pm and returned to the office at about midnight.

Other reports claim police have CCTV footage showing Ms Venkatachalam returning to the building between 7pm and 7.30pm, and that she was seen moving between floors in the building before taking a phone call from her husband at 8pm.

Ms Venkatachalam was alleged to have been escorted out of the EY work gathering at the Ivy by security at some point but specific details of her movements for several hours remain a mystery until she was seen just before midnight.

'I found her in a car park, close to my car, crying her eyes out so my girlfriends and I offered to help her out,' said one of the women who spoke to the EY worker.

'She was trying to communicate with a cleaner who worked there - I think she may have thought they were from the same country. 

'He was trying to help but he had no English. He ended up walking away and we asked if she was OK.'

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There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances but police are still piecing together her final movements

The good Samaritan said Ms Venkatachalam initially flinched from the group of women, saying 'all white people are racist' and cowering in a corner.

But the group told her: 'We are three women here to support you and be here for you and get you home safely. Tell us what's going on...

'She just kept repeating herself.... and how she got kicked out of her work function. 

'She said that over 10 times whilst crying her eyes out. She was having a panic attack and had been drinking but wasn't completely drunk. 

'Once we calmed her down, she said she needed to get into her work office at EY as she forgot her house key and they wouldn't let her up [but] she had her swipe tag.'

The good Samaritan added: 'She didn't have anybody. I saw that she was wearing a wedding ring so I asked about her partner and she said he's in Singapore and getting a flight back.

'I asked if anyone else had a spare key to her home or if we can drop her somewhere safe or call her a cab - I even offered to pay for a cab if she didn't have money.'

She said at that point another woman and two men appeared who offered to drop her off at the EY building to get her key.

'I think they made a welfare call out to the police but it was too late,' said the woman.

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The woman was found sobbing in the the corner of the Angel Place Wilson car park on Pitt Steet just before midnight

The group heard days later about the woman's death, which had happened just minutes after leaving her at about midnight.

'I was seriously so heartbroken when I found out,' said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous.  

'It's just heartbreaking.' 

Wilson Parking security is looking for CCTV footage of the entry and entrance of the Angel Place car park, behind the Ivy, to confirm the woman's final movements.

Merivale, owners of the Ivy, have not yet responded to an enquiry from Daily Mail Australia.

For confidential 24-hour support in Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14 

 

 

Family of Ernst & Young death plunge victim share  heartfelt 12-line message everyone must read: 'Life turned upside down'

By OLIVIA DAY, KEVIN AIRS and TITA SMITH for DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA 

A person who claims to be a relative Ms Venkatachalam penned an emotional 12-line poem titled 'Gone Too Soon' dedicated to their 'sister'.

The heartbreaking words obtained by Daily Mail Australia describes the woman as having 'energy and passion of a different kind' and goes on to say the loss will leave an 'irreplaceable void in our lives'.

'Life turned upside down. Shocked beyond words. Not an age to go, lot of life was ahead of you, controlling our tears, as you will be missed for years,' it begins. 

'Energy and passion was of a different kind, flashback of your birth running in our minds, aim to relive the bond and of love and respect for every year. 

'Left an irreplaceable void in our lives, will remember and cherish the wonderful memories, may your soul rest in peace.'

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A person who claims to be a close relative of the senior associate has penned an emotional tribute (pictured) titled 'Gone Too Soon'

Staff were emailed by a member of management on Monday to tell them that 'it is with great sadness I am sharing the news that one of our team members died at the EY building in Sydney over the weekend'.

'While the police investigation is ongoing we have been informed that there were no suspicious circumstances,' the email added.

'We have been in touch with the family of the person to offer our condolences and ongoing support.'

The email said the company would launch a 'comprehensive and wide-ranging internal review ' of its health and safety, security and social policies in the wake of the tragedy.

A group of EY workers told Daily Mail Australia that employees had been offered counselling. 

Read the email by EY sent to shocked staff 

It is with great sadness that I'm sharing the news that one of our team members died at the EY building in Sydney over the weekend.

While the police investigation is ongoing, we have been informed that there were no suspicious circumstances.

We have been in touch with the family of the person involved to offer our condolences and ongoing support.

This loss of a colleague is deeply saddening, I want to assure all of you that we will continue to provide support in as many ways that we can. This includes our EAP service which is available to all EY employees and their families.

As a result of this tragedy, we are conducting a comprehensive and wide-ranging internal review that will include health and safety, security and social events. Jono Nicholas, our Chief Mental Health Advisor will play an important role in helping guide and advise us as we move forward.

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Staffers, both past and present, have lifted the lid on the stressful environment often experienced at the Big4 firms - with some claiming the majority of new employees only last two years.

Some say workers are frequently pushed to their limits to complete the scrupulously detailed reports in a very short turnaround time, requiring hours of allegedly unpaid and unrecorded overtime. 

Social media has been inundated with so-called survivors claiming they regularly worked around the clock to the point of exhaustion and beyond to hit deadlines.

But while billable hours are recorded at average levels of just 41-42 hours a week, the reality is allegedly often double that - or even more. 

Employees at the world's top four international consulting companies have referred to their high-stakes workplaces as the 'The Meat Grinder'. 

One wrote: 'The cruel working culture needs to be called out and make the news.

'From personal experience, it's career suicide to work less than 10 hours per day at EY. No joke. Not exaggerating at all.

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EY has promised a 'comprehensive and wide-ranging internal review that will include health and safety, security and social events' led by their chief mental health advisor in the wake of the tragedy (pictured, an EY careers event in Australia)

'Average work hours were 8am - 7pm, sometimes until 9:30pm. In other teams, I heard people were there until 2am in the morning.

'Also no one stays for the pay. The pay is s*** at all of the big 4 consulting firms.'

One admitted they were still hanging on but ready to quit any day now: 'I'm so mentally exhausted and unwell.

'[But] they put me on so many engagements on top of full-time project. 

'Partners won't care about you as they only want to make more revenue and take more money. Disgusting. I'm so ready to leave.'

Another added: 'As an auditor myself working at a Big 4 and having worked for two other Big 4, I definitely know how stressful it is during year end audits. 

'I hope that this tragedy sheds some light on this issue and that firms provide more support to employees especially during this time of the year.'

EY has promised a 'comprehensive and wide-ranging internal review that will include health and safety, security and social events' led by their chief mental health advisor in the wake of the tragedy.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted PwC, KPMG and Deloitte for a response to the claims. 

Who are Ernst & Young?

Ernst & Young is one of the world's largest and most prestigious accounting and consultancy firms with about 600 offices worldwide.

Now known as EY, the firm provides audits for some of the globe's largest companies and consults with governments on corporate risk, technology and human resource services. 

Headquartered in the UK, the firm is worth well over US$40billion. 

International clients include Hewlett Packard computers, US telecoms giant AT&T, Coca Cola, General Motors, Hilton hotels and Lockheed Martin.

Australian clients of EY include retail giant Wesfarmers, Telstra as well as energy and minerals giants Newcrest Mining and Woodside Petroleum, along with various government departments.

 

The period after the financial year ends on June 30 and is considered one of the peak times where major companies will require audits.

Those working within the highly competitive corporate environment during this time are known to put in long hours.

 

[tennisluvrredux]

Papam vaa newly wed anta

[ramudu]

2 minutes ago, tennisluvrredux said:

Papam vaa newly wed anta

koncham short gaa , matter chppagalaaa? 

[tennisluvrredux]

2 minutes ago, ramudu said:

koncham short gaa , matter chppagalaaa? 

Recently married 27 year old Ernst and Young worker from India in Australia committed suicide by jumping off the 11th floor of the building where she works baa, she complained about racism and bullying at work place anta

[ramudu]

3 minutes ago, tennisluvrredux said:

Recently married 27 year old Ernst and Young worker from India in Australia committed suicide by jumping off the 11th floor of the building where she works baa, she complained about racism and bullying at work place anta

ohh baga sensitive anukuntaa , papam