An Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Exam (CSE) aspirant has filed a complaint against the ed-tech brand Byju’s accusing its manager and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan of ‘fraudulent behaviour’ and ‘unfair trade practices’. Priyanka Dikshit, who started her preparation for the competitive exam in 2021, said in her complaint that she didn’t receive the coaching facility from the platform for which she had paid around ₹1.8 lakh, according to Mint.
The complaint was filed at the district consumer court, which then ordered the manager and the Bollywood actor to return the fees along with compensation.
“ ₹1.08 lakh in fees deposited by complainant Priyanka Dixit at the time of admission in 2021 must be returned along with 12 per cent annual interest, while ₹5,000 must be given to her as litigation cost and ₹50,000 as compensation for financial and mental agony,” the court stated in its order as quoted by Mint.
The aspirant also alleged she was lured into the course through false and misleading online advertisements on behalf of Byju’s competitors, adding that she was influenced by an advertisement by Shah Rukh Khan. She also said that she was promised a refund which was still not paid.
The district court has given a 30-day deadline to the ed-tech firm’s Indore-based manager and the actor to jointly or separately refund the amount.
The development came after offices of Byju’s CEO Raveendran was searched by the Enfrorcement Directorate (ED) under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) for allegedly receiving ₹28,000 crore worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) between 2011 and 2023.
However, the Byju’s CEO said in a letter to his employees that the education platform has brought more FDI to India than any other startup after fully complying with the applicable FEMA provisions.
