Byju’s founder gets six-month jail term in Singapore; Raveendran calls it ‘procedural’ matter

A Singapore court has sentenced Byju Raveendran, the founder of embattled edtech firm Byju's, to six-month jail for contempt over non-compliance with court orders, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, the Singapore court found Raveendran had disobeyed multiple orders linked to his assets dating back to April 2024.

The court also directed him to surrender to authorities, pay legal costs of S$90,000 and provide documents proving his ownership of Beeaar Investco Pte, an entity that held shares in a related company.

The development marks the latest setback for the founder of edtech firm Think & Learn Pvt Ltd, popularly known as Byju’s, which has been battling multiple legal disputes with investors and lenders across jurisdictions.

According to Bloomberg, Raveendran is being pursued in Singapore courts by a subsidiary of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which had invested in the company during a funding round conducted amid layoffs and restructuring at the edtech firm.

In a series of posts on X, Byju Raveendran said the matter related to a “procedural contempt of court order” arising from disputes over document disclosure and “not a finding of fraud, dishonesty, or any wrongdoing on the merits.”

“I have been directed to appear on 15 June and appeal options are available,” he said.

Raveendran said lenders, including GLAS Trust and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), other stakeholders and the founders had been engaged in “advanced settlement discussions” for months.

“A settlement has been agreed in principle, with only minor residual issues left between certain parties — none involving me,” he said.

“QIA’s decision to press this matter now appears to be an unnecessary pressure tactic at a sensitive stage,” he added.

The report said lenders in the United States are also attempting to recover dues linked to a USD 1.2 billion term loan associated with the company.

Raveendran, once celebrated as one of India’s startup success stories, said he remained committed to resolving the disputes.

“I have always acted in good faith — for BYJU'S, its employees, its students, and everyone who built this with us,” he said, adding, “The truth doesn't change with a headline.”