FIITJEE centres across multiple states have suddenly shut shop leaving thousands of students and parents in distress. Allegations of financial mismanagement and faculty exodus have led to police complaints, deepening the crisis for the once-reputed coaching institute. A report by Mudit Mathur
Adding to the turmoil, the expert teaching faculty was fed up with the non-payment of salaries, further aggravating FIITJEE’s woes. The institute’s owners are now facing police FIRs for cheating and conspiracy, filed by disgruntled parents. Many of its reputed faculty members have left to join rival coaching groups, citing deep frustration with the abusive language allegedly used by FIITJEE founder DK Goel, whose controversial videos have been circulating on social media.
At several branches, including those in Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar, Sector 62, Noida and all three centres in Lucknow, faculty members have resigned en masse due to unpaid salaries. The closures have left parents and students in limbo, leading to the filing of two FIRs against the coaching institute chain in Noida and Ghaziabad. In Noida, FIITJEE founder DK Goel, Sector 62 branch head Ramesh Batlesh, and seven others have been booked in a cheating case after the city’s lone centre was shut down.
The Noida Police have registered an FIR following a complaint by one Satsang Kumar on behalf of the parents’ association under Section 316(2) (criminal breach of trust) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and relevant sections of the IT Act. The FIR names FIITJEE founder DK Goel, Monila Goel (shareholder), and seven others, including Partha Halder, Sadhu Ram Bansal, Rustam Dinshaw Batliwala, Shahsikan T Dubey, Mohit Sardana, Anand Raman P, and Ramesh Baltish.
The FIR states that after collecting fees from parents and promising a bright future for their children, the accused mismanaged the entire amount and, without notifying the parents, abruptly shut down the institute. The complainant also alleged that no prior notice was issued regarding the closure of the centre. “It was shocking for the parents. They were not informed under what circumstances the FIITJEE institute in Noida’s Sector 62 was shut down,” the FIR stated.
In Lucknow, a parent, Purnesh Kumar Shukla, lodged a written complaint with the SHO of Aliganj police station on January 17 against DK Goel and centre head Nitin Krishna Dubey, accusing them of deserting and closing three centres in the city. The complaint alleges that the accused committed fraud by taking advance fees from students and then suddenly closing down the operations. While FIRs have been registered against FIITJEE in other districts, the Aliganj police have yet to act on the complaint.
Ghaziabad Police registered an FIR following a complaint from parents after the Raj Nagar branch was closed around 10 days ago. In their complaint, parents accused the institute of abruptly halting operations and jeopardising their children’s academic preparations. A police complaint was also filed at the Preet Vihar police station in Delhi. A Delhi Police officer said, “We have received a complaint from a few parents. We are looking into it.” Another complaint was lodged against the institute’s Kalu Sarai branch in South Delhi.
Amid a series of police complaints of cheating, conspiracy, and duping students and parents across the country, the FIITJEE management has issued a clarification, stating that it has “not closed any centre as part of its decision. Present turmoil is temporary. Company officials are working to resume operations at all places within a reasonable time.” The management further claimed, “Overnight desertion of the centre by the Centre Managing Partner along with the entire team is the only reason for this type of condition.” FIITJEE, which operates 73 study centres nationwide, has alleged a conspiracy behind the sudden closures.
