In a major setback to Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav, the Delhi High Court has upheld his conviction in a cheque bounce case. The court, however, reduced his jail term from six months to three months.
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Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma ruled on a batch of seven cheque bounce cases filed against Yadav by M/s Murli Projects Private Limited. The court handed down a three-month simple imprisonment sentence for each of the seven cases, ordered to run concurrently.
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The court also ordered Yadav to pay Rs 1.05 crore in each case. Additionally, his wife, Radha Rajpal Yadav has been directed to pay a fine of over Rs 5 lakh in each case.
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The bench noted that despite being granted numerous opportunities by the court to clear his debts, Yadav consistently failed to honour his financial commitments. โOpportunities were granted to honour the settlement. He [Yadav] and his counsel made several statements and assurances, and despite these repeated opportunities and assurances, he failed to honour the undertakings,โ the court observed.ย
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Justice Sharma rejected Yadav’s request for probation under the Probation of Offenders Act, citing his poor conduct throughout the legal proceedings.
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Also read: Cheque bounce case: HC denies Rajpal Yadav more time to pay dues
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According to court records, Yadav had borrowed Rs 5 crore in 2010 from Delhi-based Murli Projects Pvt Ltd to fund his directorial debut film โAta Pata Laapataโ. The movie flopped upon its 2012 release, leaving Yadav unable to repay the loan and sparking a prolonged legal battle.
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In 2018, a magisterial court convicted Yadav and his wife under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act after seven of their cheques bounced. Yadav was originally sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment.ย
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After a sessions court upheld the initial conviction, Yadav appealed to the Delhi High Court. During the prolonged legal battle, the total outstanding debt increased to Rs 9 crore.
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In February 2026, the court directed the actor to surrender for failing to comply with its earlier orders. His plea seeking extension of time to surrender was also turned down.
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Yadav then surrendered on February 5 and remained in jail until the high court later granted him interim suspension of sentence after he paid Rs 1.5 crore to the complainant.
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However, since he failed to deposit the remaining amount despite several undertakings, the court sentenced him to imprisonment for 3 months.