"Misleading" UPSC information in syllabus, BYJU's owner booked
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Mumbai: The owner of educational technology company BYJU'S has been named in an FIR by the Mumbai police for alleged misleading information through its app regarding UPSC curriculum, reported PTI.
A police official on Wednesday said that the BYJU'S owner Raveendran was booked by Aarey Colony police under IPC sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) and section 69 (A) of the Information Technology Act. He said that a case was registered on July 30 on a complaint filed by a firm named Crimeophobia.
Crimeophobia had alleged that BYJU'S had mentioned in its UPSC syllabus the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a nodal agency for the United Nations Convention against Transnational organised Crime (UNTOC). In the complaint, Crimeophobia added that the CBI had given it in writing that the latter was not the nodal agency for the UNTOC, according to the official.
BYJU'S responded that it had obtained a copy of the FIR by applying for one at court. Its lawyers are reviewing the FIR, and it will take the necessary steps as per their advice. It also said that it received a letter from Crimeophobia, claiming their published material for the UPSC examination is incorrect. But it is factually correct, BYJU'S asserted.
Snehil Dhall, the founder of Crimeophobia, said that when he came across the misquoting about UNTOC (India) implementation details on BYJU's UPSC syllabus, he approached the firm through email and asked them to make necessary changes.
BYJU's replied with the Ministry of Home Affairs letter, which states CBI being the nodal agency. But it was dated April 30, 2012, and since he was not satisfied, he approached the police, he said.
Dhall further said that it was in 2016 the CBI had given it in writing that it was not the nodal agency for implementation of UNTOC. So, he filed a criminal writ petition in the Supreme Court against the Union of India and 45 ministries for not implementing the UNTOC. India's top agenda in UNSC is anti-terrorism, and UNTOC is one of the core laws to check it.
Since it has no takers for implementation, Crimeophobia has taken over the issue through the Supreme Court, he said.