Byju Raveendran faces setback as Singapore court rejects plea to halt 6-month jail sentence
Singapore’s High Court has rejected a request by Byju Raveendran, the founder of a failed Indian education technology firm, to stay his six-month prison sentence.
“On 9 July, the Singapore High Court rejected the application for a stay of the civil contempt order dated 25 May 2026,” J Michael McNutt, Raveendran’s senior litigation counsel and founder of law firm Lazareff Le Bars, said in a statement. he said.
Raveendran’s legal problems continue
Raveendran, a former teacher who founded Think & Learn Pvt, popularly known as Byju’s, was once hailed as one of India’s biggest startup success stories and a billionaire. He saw the online tutoring company collapse after a period of rapid expansion and allegations of an end to corporate governance.
“Mr. Raveendran maintains that he has not violated any court order, intentional or otherwise, and will continue to pursue any legal remedies through the appropriate legal process,” McNutt said.
Byju’s founder is facing allegations from foreign investors in several countries, including the United States, where lenders are trying to recover losses from a $1.2 billion loan that has matured. Bloomberg News reported.
In Singapore courts, Raveendran is being pursued by a subsidiary of the sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which participated in a financing round for the tech firm, which is cutting jobs and laying off staff.
QIA said in a statement that it welcomed the latest decision and would continue to pursue all legal remedies against Raveendran, the news agency reported.
Law firm says the order will have no practical effect unless Raveendran returns to Singapore
Raveendran is not currently in Singapore and there is no certainty as to when or if he plans to travel to the country, McNutt said.
“If he is in Singapore or considering going to Singapore in the future, he can appeal and the court will deal with the matter,” said McNutt. “The order has no practical effect unless he chooses to enter Singapore.”
The law firm also noted that its bid to overturn the underlying defamation finding was pending before the Court of Appeals. “Mr Raveendran also has the right to seek appropriate interim relief from the Court of Appeal.”
“The contempt order was rejected by the same court that made the underlying contempt finding, and that finding is exactly what is now being challenged in the Court of Appeals. The contempt decision itself remains moot,” said McNutt.
(With input from Bloomberg News)
