FIR Filed Against BYJU'S Founder Raveendran For Spreading Misinformation In UPSC Course

It has been alleged that BYJU'S, in its UPSC curriculum, has stated that the Central Investigating Agency, CBI is a nodal agency for the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime

BYJU'S founder Raveendran

Mumbai: Mumbai Police has registered a criminal case against Raveendran, founder of educational app BYJU'S. Raveendran has been accused of giving wrong information in the UPSC course. Raveendran has been booked under Section 120B of IPC and Section 69(A) of IT Act for criminal conspiracy at Aarey Colony police station.

The FIR includes the name of the company's owner Raveendran. A copy of this FIR is available with ABP News. According to Aarey Colony police station, the FIR has been lodged on a complaint of a science firm, Crimeophobia. It has been alleged that BYJU'S, in its UPSC curriculum, has stated that the Central Investigating Agency, CBI is a nodal agency for the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC). The CBI has clarified in writing that it is not the nodal agency of the UNTOC.

What did the complainant say on filing FIR?
"I came to know in May that the CBI has been described as the nodal agency for UNTOC in the UPSC course of BYJU," said Snehil Dhall, founder of Crimeophobia. When I contacted him by email, he sent me a letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs stating that the CBI was the nodal agency. But this letter was from the year 2012. I was not satisfied with it and so then I turned to the police and lodged a complaint.''

Dhall further said that the CBI had said in writing in 2016 that they were not the nodal agency for UNTOC. Dhall then filed a criminal petition in the Supreme Court against the Government of India and 45 departments for not implementing UNTOC in the country.

India's biggest agenda at the UNSC is anti-terrorism and the UNTOC is one of the major laws to eliminate terrorism. But there was no agency to implement it in the country. So Crimeophobia raised the issue through the Supreme Court. As per the information provided on UNTOC, three major protocols are followed, human trafficking, arms and ammunition smuggling, and money laundering.

What did the BYJU'S spokesperson say on the allegations?

On the whole issue, a BYJU'S spokesperson said, "We are not in a position to comment as we have not yet received a copy of the FIR." He further said that we had received a letter from an institution, Crimeophobia, claiming that our curriculum involving UPSC had given wrong information about UNTOC. However, the material is factually correct and backed by an official communication issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. He added that they have also shared a copy of it with Crimeophobia. The BYJU'S spokesperson concluded that all the information shared is based on a verified source.