Actor Rajpal Yadav’s long-running legal battle over a cheque bounce case has taken another major turn. The Delhi High Court has upheld his conviction and imposed a total fine of ₹7.35 crore, while warning that he could face six months in jail if he fails to pay the amount.
According to reports, the High Court dismissed Rajpal Yadav’s appeal and described his conduct in the case as “dubious.” While the court reduced his original jail sentence from six months to three months, it also clarified that if the fine is not paid, the sentence will automatically return to six months.
The court ordered Rajpal Yadav to pay ₹1.05 crore in each of the seven cheque bounce cases, taking the total fine to ₹7.35 crore. His wife, Radha Rajpal Yadav, has also been directed to pay a fine of more than ₹5 lakh in each case.
During the hearing, the court observed that Rajpal had repeatedly assured the complainant that he would clear the dues but failed to honour those commitments despite being given several opportunities.
According to the court, multiple undertakings and assurances were made by the actor and his legal team, but the promised payments were not completed. The judges noted that despite repeated chances to settle the matter, the commitments remained unfulfilled.
However, the High Court has kept its order on hold for two months, giving Rajpal Yadav time to approach a higher court if he wishes to challenge the verdict.
The case dates back to 2010, when Rajpal Yadav reportedly borrowed ₹5 crore from M/s Murali Projects Pvt. Ltd. to finance his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata. Unfortunately, the film failed at the box office, and the loan remained unpaid. Over the years, interest on the amount pushed the outstanding dues to nearly ₹9 crore, eventually leading to multiple cheque dishonour cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
The legal battle has continued for several years. In 2018, a magistrate court convicted Rajpal Yadav and his wife and sentenced him to six months in prison. The conviction was later upheld by a sessions court in 2019, after which the actor approached the Delhi High Court.
In 2024, the High Court temporarily suspended his sentence and directed him to make sincere efforts to repay the outstanding amount. Earlier this year, Rajpal surrendered before the court and spent a few days in custody before being granted interim bail after depositing ₹1.5 crore.
During this difficult period, several members of the film industry, including Sonu Sood, Ajay Devgn, Salman Khan, and Gurmeet Choudhary, reportedly extended their support to the actor.
With the latest High Court ruling, Rajpal Yadav now faces a crucial legal challenge. If he pays the court-ordered fine, he will serve the reduced three-month sentence. However, failure to comply with the court’s directions could result in his jail term increasing back to six months. The actor is yet to issue an official statement on the latest verdict.
