Actor Rajpal Yadav gained media attention when he was incarcerated in Tihar Jail due to a ₹9 crore debt and cheque bounce case. He was granted temporary bail and released on February 16. On March 18, the Delhi High Court decided not to imprison the actor at this time, as he had made significant payments to the complainant in the cheque bounce cases against him.
Rajpal Yadav received reprieve
On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court refused to lift its previous order that provided temporary suspension of Rajpal Yadav's sentence in cheque-bouncing cases, extending the relief until April 1.
A panel headed by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma concluded that the actor was not trying to escape, as he appeared in court and had made substantial payments towards the owed amount. The bench remarked, "I find no reason. He’s not escaping. He’s present. He’s attending court, and he has also spent time in jail. He’s already on bail; I’m not returning him to jail. He’s made significant payments. Thus, I will not send him to jail at this moment."
Additional information regarding the case
Previously, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma had approved interim bail for Rajpal, requiring him to post a bail bond of ₹1 lakh and provide one surety. During an earlier session, the court instructed Rajpal to deposit ₹1.5 crore by 3 PM to secure interim bail. The bail was granted after the complainant's legal representative, M/S Murli Project, verified that the actor had deposited the specified amount into the company's bank accounts to cover the bounced cheque.
In the previous month, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma instructed the actor to turn himself in, emphasizing that leniency cannot be perpetually granted to anyone, irrespective of their fame. On February 4, 2026, the court dismissed a last-minute 'mercy plea' requesting an additional week to secure funds, with the judge noting that Rajpal had not fulfilled almost 20 different commitments previously.
The issues started in 2010 when Rajpal borrowed ₹5 crore from Murali Projects Pvt Ltd, a company based in Delhi, to finance his first film as a director, Ata Pata Laapata (2012). The movie's poor performance at the box office led to difficulties in repaying the loan, resulting in a legal dispute. This eventually led to a Magisterial Court finding him and his wife, Radha, guilty in April 2018 under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.
Following the bouncing of seven cheques issued to the complainant, the actor received a sentence of six months' simple imprisonment, a decision that was later confirmed by a Sessions Court in early 2019. By October 2025, despite Yadav depositing ₹75 lakh via two demand drafts, the court observed that most of the debt was still outstanding.