New Delhi (India) May 27: Byju's founder Byju Raveendran was sentenced to six months imprisonment by a Singapore court over contempt charges as he allegedly failed to comply with disclosure orders. The businessman called the ruling "procedural", denied allegations and said he would appeal against the verdict.

Court Orders Document Disclosure

The Singapore court ordered Raveendran to present himself before the authorities, pay S$90,000 for legal expenses and produce documents proving he owns Beeaar Investco Pte, a company that held stakes in a related firm, reported Bloomberg.

The verdict is the first significant legal setback for the founder of Byju's, which was once India's most valued startup and is grappling with investor disputes, debt litigation and operational problems amid an ongoing post-pandemic decline.

Byju's Founder Denies Any Wrongdoing Claims

Raveendran said in a statement after the ruling that settlement talks with lenders and investors like GLAS Trust and QIA were close to conclusion and termed the legal action an unnecessary escalation.

“The lenders, including GLAS Trust and QIA, as well as other stakeholders, have been in discussions with the founders and other parties. A settlement has been agreed in principle, with only a few residual minor issues left to be finalised between certain parties. I have no role in those remaining issues,” he said.

“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. 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 Targets Lenders On Hiding Information

This decision comes months after a Delaware court in December 2025 overturned its prior $1 billion judgment against Raveendran, following the review of fresh submissions filed by a motion seeking correction of a November 20 ruling. The court noted damages had not been properly assessed and ordered fresh proceedings.

Raveendran's team argued that GLAS Trust and lenders had concealed or misrepresented critical information during the legal proceedings, which contributed to the collapse of the edtech business and erosion of enterprise value.

Byju’s Rise During COVID Pandemic

Byju's, founded in 2011 as Think & Learn Pvt Ltd, started as an online learning platform for school education and exam preparation and became immensely popular during the Covid-19 pandemic. The company acquired firms like Aakash Educational Services, Great Learning and Epic to expand its presence. It became the face of India's startup boom, attracting billions from global investors. The company's aggressive growth was fueled by spending and debt rather than profitability.