Supreme Court admits Byju's insolvency appeals
Supreme Court
has admitted two appeals in the ongoing insolvency proceedings of Think & Learn, the parent entity of the embattled edtech firm Byju's, filed by the company's promoters and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The apex court has scheduled the next hearing for July 21 where it will consider interim reliefs sought by the petitioners.
The cases stem from the insolvency application filed by the BCCI, which alleged unpaid dues from Byju's, a former Team India sponsor. However, both BCCI and Byju's claimed that a Rs 158 crore settlement was reached and fully executed before the constitution of the Committee of Creditors (CoC). The promoters are seeking withdrawal of the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) based on this pre-CoC agreement.
Senior Advocate KK Venugopal, appearing for the Byju's promoters, argued that the BCCI settlement was "fully agreed upon, paid, and formally communicated to the interim resolution professional well before the CoC was constituted."
Supporting the plea, senior counsel Guru Krishna Kumar told the court that the company's US assets are at risk, alleging that the resolution professional (RP) withdrew American legal proceedings initiated by Think & Learn against its lenders.
The Supreme Court did not grant a stay on asset disposal but said it would evaluate interim relief at the next hearing. Notices were issued to the former interim resolution professional Pankaj Srivastava, current RP Shailendra Ajmera, Byju's director Riju Ravindran, and Glas Trust, representing the US lenders.
The promoters' legal challenge comes after the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) refused to allow the insolvency withdrawal, citing the formation of the CoC. The dispute adds a fresh layer to the high-stakes financial and legal troubles surrounding Byju's, which has been under intense scrutiny from regulators, creditors, and investors over the past year.
The outcome of the July 21 hearing could determine whether Byju's can exit the insolvency process based on the timing and validity of the BCCI settlement.
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