CA Final Student Claims Harassment During Articleship

A CA Final student has shared his heartbreaking experience at his CA articleship at Poneet Gupta & Co., a CA firm at Malad, Mumbai. The CA student, Aman Jha, shared a post on LinkedIn, claiming that during his internship, he was harassed both mentally and physically.

According to the student, the incident took place in July 2024, just three months before completing his training. After completing an assignment, his principal was not satisfied with the work, and he got scolded and insulted in front of the staff. Not only this, but Jha also claimed that he was slapped. The student immediately wrote to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). After a call from the Institute, he agreed to continue the articleship, as ICAI rules do not allow a transfer in the last three months.

However, the student claims that after he filed the complaint, the principal threatened him, targeted him over small issues, and treated him unfairly. The principal allegedly threatened that he would not let the Student complete his internship. They were forcing him to commit some professional misconduct so that they could fire him from the office. He was even refused entry to the office after taking one day’s leave for mental relief. Even after repeated apologies from the student and his parents, the principal refused to let him complete his training and also insulted his father.

The student says he has written to ICAI many times and even filed a formal complaint with the Disciplinary Committee in January 2025, but till now, no action has been taken. He claims that he has lost one full year, missed his exams, and feels completely stuck, with no option to transfer or complete his articleship elsewhere.

Many professionals are criticising how this student was treated at articleship, where they are supposed to learn and grow. If whatever he claimed is true, then it is a serious concern, and ICAI must take action against such a principal.