Lucknow Woman Banker Dies After Falling Off Chair in Office, Sparks Concerns Over Workplace Stress

Lucknow: Amid the ongoing nationwide uproar over the death of a Pune employee due to work pressure, a 45-year-old woman official with a private bank died under mysterious circumstances in her office building in Vibhuti Khand of Luckow's Gomtinagar on Tuesday afternoon.

The woman, a resident of Wazirganj, reportedly fainted and fell from her chair during work hours. Her colleagues mentioned that she had taken a tablet from her purse shortly before losing consciousness. Despite efforts to revive her, she was declared dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital.

"Some colleagues said the woman had taken out a tablet from her purse and popped it in the cafeteria," the police said. "After eating that tablet, she became unconscious. Colleagues tried to revive her but in vain," said SHO, Vibhuti Khand, Sunil Kumar.

The incident, which occurred around 1 PM, has once again raised concerns about workplace conditions and mental health pressures within corporate environments. Witnesses also mentioned that the woman had gone to the cafeteria for lunch with colleagues shortly before the incident. After a while, she suddenly fainted and fell on the ground. The colleagues took her to RMLIMS, located near the office, where doctors declared her dead, police said.

Local police have confirmed that the body has been sent for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.

The woman banker's death came to light amid heightened scrutiny of workplace conditions following the recent death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a young employee at Ernst & Young in Pune. This tragic incident has drawn parallels to the banker's case, highlighting critical issues surrounding workplace stress and its consequences. The situation has ignited widespread discussions about the mental health pressures faced by workers in demanding corporate environments. As awareness of the impact of work-related stress grows, there are increasing calls for organizations to reevaluate their policies and practices to prioritize the well-being of their employees.

Irreparable loss of the country's human resources: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav

Reacting to the incident, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed his concern on social media, calling the incident “extremely worrying” and a reflection of the economic pressures faced by individuals in the country. Taking to X, the SP leader wrote, “Such news is a symbol of the current economic pressure in the country. All companies and government departments will have to think seriously in this regard. This is an irreparable loss of the country's human resources. Such sudden deaths bring the working conditions under question. The real measure of the progress of any country is not the increase in the figures of services or products but it is how mentally free, healthy and happy a person is.”

He also slammed the BJP government and stated, “Due to the failed economic policies of the BJP government, the business of companies has reduced so much that to save their business, they make fewer people do many times more work. The BJP government is as much responsible for such sudden deaths as the statements of BJP leaders that mentally demoralize the public. To overcome this problem, companies and government departments should make active and meaningful efforts for 'immediate improvement'.”