An applicant for the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) Civil Services Exam (CSE) has complained against Shah Rukh Khan, the manager of the ed-tech company Byju’s, charging him with “fraudulent behavior” and “unfair trade practices.” According to Mint, Priyanka Dikshit, who began studying for the competitive exam in 2021, claimed in her complaint that the platform failed to provide the coaching service for which she had paid about 1.8 lakh.
The complaint was filed with the district consumer court, which ordered the manager and the Bollywood actor to return the fees as well as compensate.
According to Mint, the court stated in its order that “1.08 lakh in fees deposited by complainant Priyanka Dixit at the time of admission in 2021 must be returned along with 12% annual interest, while 5,000 must be given to her as litigation cost and 50,000 as compensation for financial and mental agony.”
The aspirant also claimed she was lured into the course by false and misleading online advertisements on behalf of Byju’s competitors, and that she was influenced by a Shah Rukh Khan advertisement. She also claimed that she was promised a refund, which she claims has yet to be fulfilled.
The district court has given the ed-tech firm’s Indore-based manager and the actor a 30-day deadline to refund the money either jointly or separately.
The development came after the offices of Byju’s CEO Raveendran were searched by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) for allegedly receiving 28,000 crores in foreign direct investment (FDI) between 2011 and 2023.
The education platform has, however, brought more foreign direct investment (FDI) to India than any other startup after fully complying with the relevant FEMA provisions, according to a letter from the CEO of Byju’s to his staff.
