High Court of Karnataka Halts Byju Raveendran from Alienating Property Assets

The troubles for edtech entrepreneur Byju Raveendran deepened this week after the Karnataka High Court issued an interim order preventing him and his investment arm, Byju’s Investments Pte Ltd (BIPL), from disposing of any properties, as per news reports. The move comes on the back of a petition filed by Qatar Holding, which is pursuing enforcement of a large arbitral award against the group.

Arbitral Award and Interest Claims

As per news reports, Qatar Holding, a subsidiary of the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar, is seeking to enforce a $235 million award linked to a financing dispute. Its counsel told the court that the claim also carries an interest charge of 4% per annum, compounded daily from 28 February 2024 until settlement. The accumulated interest now stands at $14 million. 

Counsel for Byju’s responded that they had not yet received copies of the petition or interim application and requested more time to prepare objections.

Origins of the Dispute and Arbitration Proceedings

The case traces back to a $150 million loan extended by Qatar Holding to BIPL in 2022, which was personally guaranteed by Raveendran. The facility was intended to partly fund the acquisition of coaching chain Aakash Educational Services. Following multiple repayment defaults, Qatar Holding terminated the agreement and demanded early repayment of $235 million. 

Arbitration was launched in Singapore in March 2024, culminating in a final award in Qatar Holding’s favour on 14 July 2025. Before that, an emergency arbitrator had imposed a global freezing order on Raveendran and BIPL’s assets up to $235 million, a decision later upheld by the Singapore High Court.

Wider Legal Challenges in the US 

The ruling in Karnataka comes as Raveendran faces mounting litigation abroad. On 7 July, a US court held him in civil contempt for failing to produce documents connected to a $1.2 billion term loan. Earlier, on 10 April 2025, US lenders filed a lawsuit against Raveendran, his wife Divya Gokulnath and former executive Anita Kishore. The complaint alleged that the three had devised a plan to conceal and misappropriate $533 million from the loan proceeds channelled into Byju’s Alpha, a special-purpose financing vehicle incorporated in the US.

Read More: Byju’s Learning App Taken Off Google Play Store Over Unpaid Bills!

Conclusion

The interim order from the Karnataka High Court adds yet another layer of legal complexity for Byju’s founder as he contends with arbitration enforcement in India and lawsuits overseas. With multiple jurisdictions involved and claims totalling in the billions, the coming months are set to be critical for both Raveendran and the embattled edtech group.

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