In seemingly fresh trouble for Byju’s, it’s founder Byju Raveendran has been sentenced to six months in prison by a Singapore court. The founder of the edtech has been given prison term in a contempt case, according to Bloomberg reports.
The Singapore court has directed Raveendran to surrender to authorities, pay legal costs of S$90,000 ($70,500) and provide documents proving his ownership of Beeaar Investco Pte, a corporate entity that had shares in a related company, Bloomberg reported.
This is the recent setback for the embattled founder who is under legal and financial investigation from investors and lenders in multiple jurisdictions, including the US where creditors are trying to recoup losses tied to a soured $1.2 billion loan.
A subsidiary of Qatar Investment Authority which had invested in the business during a time when Byju’s was laying off employees and reorganising operations has initiated the legal action in Singapore, a report said. Qatar Holdings was represented by law firm Drew & Napier while Byju’s Investments was represented by Fervent Chambers in the case.
The development comes months after the Delaware Court in December 2025 reversed its earlier $1 billion verdict against Raveendran after considering new submissions filed through a motion to modify a November 20 ruling. The Delaware Court had then observed that damages had not been properly determined and ordered a new phase of proceedings to assess whether any damages were owed.
Raveendran’s legal team had argued that GLAS Trust and lenders had concealed or misrepresented important information during proceedings which they claimed contributed to the collapse of the edtech business and decline of enterprise value.
In December last year, a Delaware Court reversed its earlier $1 billion judgment after reviewing fresh submissions filed through a motion to correct the November 20 ruling. The Court noted that damages had not been properly determined earlier. The court ordered a new phase of proceedings in early January 2026 to decide whether any damages are owed.
According to Raveendran’s legal team, GLAS Trust and the lenders withheld or misrepresented critical information during the case.
They argue that this misinformation misled courts and the public, contributing to the collapse of the edtech business, the loss of around 85,000 jobs, the impact on nearly 250 million students, and the destruction of tens of billions of dollars in enterprise value. Raveendran is also considering further legal action against GLAS Trust and other parties.
Byju Raveendran responds
Byju Raveendran has meanwhile broken his silence on the a six-month jail sentence. Responding to the court order, Raveendran said settlement discussions with lenders, including GLAS Trust and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), and other stakeholders were already at an advanced stage. Just a few residual minor issues were left to be resolved.
“I am disappointed that the recent Singapore court matter has been pursued and reported in a manner that creates a misleading impression about me, especially at a time when all key parties have almost concluded the settlement discussions,” he said in a statement.
Raveendran said, parties involved in the settlement discussions had acknowledged that there was no wrongdoing on his part or on the part of other founders.
“That is why it is deeply unfortunate that this matter is being used to create a contrary public narrative at this sensitive stage,” he added.
Raveendran further added he ‘chose resolution over confrontation’.
With IANS Inputs
