FIITJEE’s Chief Financial Officer Rajeev Babbar was detained last week at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and questioned by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) after arriving from Doha, Qatar, an IE report quoted sources as saying. The development follows the registration of an FIR against the coaching institute chain, which has a nationwide presence, over allegations of abruptly shutting down multiple centres and non-payment of staff salaries amid a financial crisis.
According to officials, Babbar was stopped at the airport under a look-out circular (LOC) issued by the EOW after he was named in the FIR. “Airport officials alerted the EOW team, who then took Babbar into custody for questioning regarding financial transactions involving the managing partners of FIITJEE,” the report further stated.
Babbar was later released but was instructed not to leave the country while the investigation continues.
The case was registered on March 12 after the EOW received 192 complaints from parents of students enrolled at FIITJEE’s Preet Vihar centre in East Delhi, which abruptly shut down in January. Additional complaints soon followed from parents linked to the Kalu Sarai centre in South Delhi, one of FIITJEE’s flagship branches.
“The complaints initially filed with local police in East and South Delhi were transferred to the EOW for a detailed probe, given the substantial amounts involved,” an officer said. The number of complaints has now risen to over 200, police confirmed.
According to the report, Babbar might be summoned again for further questioning and Managing Director DK Goel, who is also named in the FIR, may soon be called in as well.
Meanwhile, the ED on Thursday conducted multiple raids at FIITJEE premises across Delhi-NCR as part of a money laundering probe related to the case. In a statement issued earlier, FIITJEE had termed the situation “temporary”, claiming that efforts were underway to resume operations across all centres. The company alleged that financial mismanagement by its managing partners was responsible for the crisis.