There seems to be no immediate relief in sight for Rajpal Yadav. After the Delhi High Court adjourned the actor’s bail plea to February 16 in the ongoing cheque bounce case, his lawyer said that Rajpal has already paid ₹2.5 crore towards the disputed amount and is willing to deposit more.
‘Rajpal Yadav has paid half of his debt’
After the hearing, Rajpal’s lawyer, Bhaskar Upadhyay, spoke to the media present outside the court, to shed light on some details about the case. The lawyer said that the actor has already paid ₹2.5 crore out of the ₹5 crore debt that he took for the film. Bhaskar stressed that imprisonment in such cases should not hinge purely on undertakings.
“No one should be imprisoned solely on the basis of an undertaking. We told the court that if this is purely a financial matter, we would meet him in jail and take instructions. Today we tried to speak to him in jail, but that wasn’t possible. We will personally meet him to understand the court’s stand regarding the earlier undertaking. If we pay the money, then the matter won’t be argued on merit and it will be treated as a settlement,” he said in Hindi.
The lawyer continued, “The original ₹5 crore became ₹11 crore. So far, we have paid ₹2.5 crore in this case. Around ₹1 crore had been deposited with the registry earlier, and we had also brought a cheque of ₹25 lakh today. Whatever assistance we are receiving, we are ready to deposit it with the court. There is no major issue on that front. The only question now is what the court decides on Monday.”
What do we know about the case
Rajpal Yadav surrendered in Tihar Jail on February 5 after the Delhi High Court declined to grant him more time in long-pending cheque bounce cases. The actor, known for films such as Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Waqt, Phir Hera Pheri, Partner, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Hungama and Chup Chup Ke, is facing liability of nearly ₹9 crore in connection with the cases.
The case traces back to 2010, when Rajpal borrowed ₹5 crore from Delhi-based Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to fund his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata (2012). The film’s commercial failure led to heavy losses and a financial dispute. In 2018, a magisterial court convicted the actor for cheque dishonour under the Negotiable Instruments Act, sentencing him to six months’ imprisonment — a decision upheld by a sessions court in 2019. The amount due eventually rose to nearly ₹9 crore.
Before surrendering for his imprisonment at Tihar Jail earlier this month, an emotional Rajpal reportedly told the court, “Sir, kya karoon? Mere paas paise nahin hain. Aur koi upaay nahin dikhta… Sir, yahan hum sab akele hain. There are no friends. I have to deal with this crisis on my own.”
On Thursday, the Delhi High Court sharply criticised the conduct of Rajpal in the case, stating that he went to prison because he refused to honour his own commitment to repay the dues on time. The strong remarks came from Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma during a bail application hearing by the actor, seeking a suspension of his sentence due to a marriage in the family.
“You did not go to jail because the court passed an order. You have gone to jail because you have failed to comply with your own commitments,” justice Sharma said, also underlining that it was Rajpal in the first place who had entered into a settlement with the complainant.
The judge also questioned Rajpal’s plea seeking suspension of sentence, stating, “You have been sentenced since you pleaded guilty and admitted that you will pay. Now that you have been sentenced, you are asking for suspension of the sentence?” The court also pointed to the prolonged legal proceedings in this case. The next hearing is scheduled for Monday.
