A Singapore court has sentenced Byju’s founder, Byju Raveendran, to six months in jail on charges of contempt of court. He was accused of failing to comply with the court’s orders to disclose information. However, Byju Raveendran termed the ruling “procedural,” denied any wrongdoing, and stated that he would appeal the decision.
According to a Bloomberg report, the Singapore court has ordered Byju Raveendran to surrender to authorities, pay legal costs amounting to 90,000 Singapore dollars (approximately ₹6,731,102), and produce documents establishing his ownership stake in Beeaar Investco Pte. Beeaar Investco Pte is a corporate entity that holds shares in a related company.
This ruling marks the most significant legal setback to date for the founder of Byju’s. Once one of India’s most valuable startups, Byju’s is currently grappling with investor disputes, debt-related lawsuits, and operational turmoil following a severe downturn in the post-pandemic period.
According to the report, these legal proceedings in Singapore were initiated by a subsidiary of the Qatar Investment Authority. This entity had invested in Byju’s at a time when the company was undertaking employee layoffs and restructuring its operations. Furthermore, in this case, the law firm Drew & Napier represented Qatar Holdings, while Fervent Chambers represented Byju’s Investments.
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It was not immediately clear whether Byju Raveendran was in Singapore at the time the order was issued. This development comes months after a Delaware court, in December 2025, overturned its previous $1 billion judgment against Byju Raveendran. The court had delivered this ruling after reviewing new documents submitted via a motion seeking to modify a judgment issued on November 20.
The Delaware court had observed at the time that the damages had not been properly quantified, and it ordered the commencement of a new phase of proceedings to determine whether any damages were indeed payable. Raveendran’s legal team had alleged that GLAS Trust and the lenders had concealed or misrepresented material information during the proceedings, actions which, they claimed, contributed to the collapse of the EdTech business and the decline in the company’s valuation.
Byju Raveendran States That his Priority is to Support a Constructive Resolution
In a statement issued following the ruling, Byju Raveendran noted that negotiations for a settlement with lenders and investors, including GLAS Trust and QIA, were already in their final stages, and he characterised this latest legal action as an unnecessary escalation.
“Both parties have also acknowledged that there has been no wrongdoing on my part or on the part of the other founders,” he said. He added that the Singapore ruling was a “procedural order regarding contempt of court,” about disputes over document disclosure, and did not constitute “any substantive finding of fraud, dishonesty, or wrongdoing.” Byju Raveendran further stated that he has chosen “resolution over confrontation,” and affirmed his intention to challenge what he described as a “false and one-sided narrative.”
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“Lenders, including GLAS Trust and QIA, along with other stakeholders, are in discussions with the founders and other parties. An agreement has been reached in principle, with only a few minor details remaining to be finalised among certain parties.
I have no role in these remaining matters,” said Byju Raveendran. He expressed disappointment that the manner in which the recent Singapore court proceedings were pursued and reported has created a misleading perception regarding him. He asserted that this is particularly concerning given that all key parties have nearly concluded their settlement negotiations.
“As part of the settlement discussions, the parties have also acknowledged that there has been no wrongdoing on my part or on the part of the other founders. It is, therefore, deeply regrettable that, at this sensitive juncture, this matter is being leveraged to create an adverse public perception,” he stated.
He further added that, over the past few months, he had refrained from actively participating in various court proceedings precisely because “the parties were working towards a comprehensive settlement.” “I have consistently maintained that I have acted in good faith and in the best interests of Byju’s, its employees, students, and stakeholders.
I have also placed on record that neither I nor any other founder has personally received any portion of the disputed funds, and that the funds were utilised for legitimate business purposes,” he said. His statement further read: “Even today, my priority remains to support a constructive resolution and to refrain from making any statements that could potentially impact the ongoing settlement process. However, I cannot allow any false or one-sided narrative to go unchallenged, and I categorically reject any such misrepresentation.”
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