Actor Rajpal Yadav has suffered another setback in the long-running cheque bounce case. The Delhi High Court has upheld his conviction and imposed a total fine of ₹7.35 crore, while also sentencing him to three months’ simple imprisonment in each of the seven cases. The sentences, however, will run concurrently.
The court also directed Yadav’s wife Radha Rajpal Yadav, to pay a fine of more than ₹5 lakh in each case. If Rajpal fails to pay the fine, his jail term will return to six months, as ordered earlier.
As per the reports in Bar and Bench, Rajpal Yadav was given several opportunities to honour the settlement and repay the amount, according to the High Court. The court observed, “Opportunities were granted to honour the settlement. He and his counsel made several statements and assurances, and despite these repeated opportunities and assurances, he failed to honour the undertakings.”
The court also described his conduct as “dubious” while refusing to grant him relief. However, it has stayed the operation of the order for two months, allowing the actor time to challenge the verdict before a higher court.
The dispute dates back to 2010, when Rajpal Yadav borrowed ₹5 crore from Murli Projects Pvt. Ltd. to finance his directorial venture, Ata Pata Laapata. The film failed at the box office, and with interest, the outstanding amount reportedly increased to nearly ₹9 crore.
A trial court convicted Rajpal and his wife in 2018, and the conviction was upheld in 2019. Although the High Court had earlier suspended his sentence after he assured repayment, the promised payments were not made despite repeated undertakings.
With the High Court upholding his conviction and imposing a heavy financial penalty, Rajpal Yadav’s legal battle is far from over. The actor now has two months to approach a higher court, while the future of the case depends on whether he complies with the court’s directions.
