Various searches and seizures were carried out at three premises in Bengaluru, Karnataka by the Enforcement Department (ED) in relation to a case filed against Raveendran Byju and his company Think and Learn. The raids were carried out under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
Various incriminating documents and digital data were seized during the raid. The company runs a popular online education portal under the name Byjus. The FEMA searches have revealed that the company has earned Rs 28000 crore during the tenure of 13 years from 2011 to 2023. In the same time period, the company has also made Rs 9754 crore payments to various foreign jurisdictions in the name of overseas direct investment.
In the name of advertisements and marketing expenses, the company has booked around Rs 944 crore which also included the amount paid to foreign jurisdiction. Allegedly, the company has also not prepared its financial statements since the year 2020-21. The audition of these accounts has also not been conducted which is mandatory.
The authenticity of the figures provided by the company is not yet determined as it is being cross examined with that of the bank. Several complaints from private persons initiated the investigation against Byjus. The founder and the CEO of the company did not even appear during the investigation in spite of several summons issued.
Byjus legal team spokesperson labelled the raid as ‘routine inquiry under FEMA’ in the statement released by Byjus. The company has stated that it has been transparent and completely aligned to the ethics and high standards for integrity of its operations. And it shall co-operate with the authorities to provide all the required information and resolve the matter soon. It also posited that it would still focus on delivering high quality educational products and services to its customers in India and across the world.
