The High Court of Singapore has rejected Byju's founder Byju Raveendran's application to overturn a six-month jail sentence for contempt of court, marking another legal setback for the embattled edtech entrepreneur, Bloomberg reported.
According to the report, the court on July 9 dismissed Raveendran's request to halt enforcement of the sentence. The jail term had been imposed in May, although its execution was temporarily stayed last month while his application was being considered.
The contempt case stems from legal proceedings initiated by a subsidiary of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), an investor in Byju's during its rapid expansion. The court found Raveendran in contempt, leading to the six-month sentence. While the latest ruling does not automatically result in his imprisonment, it means the sentence remains in force and could be enforced if he enters Singapore.
Raveendran, however, has denied intentionally violating any court order. His legal team, Lazareff Le Bars, said he will continue pursuing all available legal remedies.
"Mr. Raveendran maintains that he did not breach any court order, intentionally or otherwise, and will continue to pursue every lawful remedy through the proper legal process," said J. Michael McNutt, a lawyer at Lazareff Le Bars.
The latest development comes as Raveendran faces multiple legal disputes across jurisdictions following the collapse of Byju's financial fortunes.
Once valued at billions of dollars and regarded as one of India's biggest startup success stories, Byju's witnessed a sharp decline after an aggressive global expansion, mounting financial stress and allegations of corporate governance lapses.
Raveendran is also battling claims from international investors and lenders, including creditors in the United States seeking recovery linked to a $1.2 billion loan raised by the company. In Singapore, QIA's subsidiary has been pursuing legal action against him and welcomed the latest court decision, saying it would continue to seek legal remedies.
Raveendran is currently not in Singapore, and his lawyers said there is no certainty about whether or when he plans to travel there. They added that if he does return, he may seek to appeal the sentence at that stage, subject to the court's consideration.
The ruling adds to the growing legal and financial challenges facing Raveendran as investors and creditors continue efforts to recover dues from the once high-flying edtech firm.
