BYJU'S founders plan $2.5B legal action against GLAS Trust, others amid US contempt order

Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath, founders of Indian edtech firm Think & Learn Pvt Ltd, plan to initiate legal action seeking at least $2.5 billion in damages against parties they allege caused harm to them and their business, according to a press note issued by French law firm Lazareff Le Bars.

The claims are expected to be filed in multiple jurisdictions, in addition to ongoing proceedings in Indian courts, the lawyers said.

The founders are already contesting the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) initiated against Think & Learn in India, and have challenged the standing of GLAS Trust, the trustee for the company's term loan lenders.

“There is no court order in India or the United States directing payment by Mr Byju or Mrs Gokulnath to Think & Learn or any related entity,” said J Michael McNutt, senior litigation advisor at Lazareff Le Bars, in the statement.

“Byju Raveendran’s latest act of threatening defamation claims against GLAS Trust and the Term Loan B Lenders is a transparent attempt to distract from the facts, coming on the heels of a U.S. federal court holding him in contempt. The fact of the matter is that every court to consider the issues has ruled against Mr. Raveendran and his cohorts. Judgments exceeding $533 million have been entered against Mr. Raveendran’s allies, including for their fraudulent conduct. Mr. Raveendran’s brother was found by a Delaware federal court to be untruthful and one of the most incompetent directors in Delaware’s history. A Delaware federal court stated its intention to make a criminal referral when Mr. Raveendran attempted to bribe a witness and has held Mr. Raveendran in contempt. There simply should be no doubt that we have at all times acted within our rights. Mr. Raveendran’s threats are desperate and meritless, and the irony of Mr. Raveendran threatening to sue for defamation when he continues to unlawfully conceal what happened to the missing $533 million should be lost on no one," said spokesperson for GLAS and the Term Loan B Lenders to BYJU’s.

The planned action follows disputes involving BYJU’S Alpha, a unit created by the embattled edtech firm in the US, and GLAS Trust.

Raveendran and Gokulnath are also participating in legal proceedings in a Delaware court initiated in April 2025 by the GLAS Trust Company. They have disputed the court’s jurisdiction and denied the allegations. Raveendran has sought reconsideration of a civil contempt order issued by the Delaware court earlier this month, according to the lawyers.

This comes a week after the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware found Raveendran in civil contempt for failing to comply with two earlier court orders, as per a ruling issued on July 7, 2025.

The court imposed a daily sanction of $10,000, accruing from July 1, 2025, until Raveendran remains in contempt of the orders.

(The story has been updated to reflect a statement from GLAS and Term Loan B Lenders to BYJU’s)