Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav has been granted bail by the Delhi High Court in connection with a ₹9-crore cheque bounce case that had led to his imprisonment in Tihar Jail. The 54-year-old actor had surrendered earlier this month and was serving a six-month sentence before receiving interim relief.
The case traces back to 2012, when Yadav borrowed ₹5 crore from M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to finance his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata. The film failed commercially, resulting in heavy financial losses. Over time, unpaid dues, interest, and penalties escalated the outstanding amount to nearly ₹9 crore. To settle the liability, Yadav issued multiple cheques, which were later dishonoured, triggering criminal proceedings under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
In April 2018, a magisterial court convicted Yadav and sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment. The conviction was upheld in 2019 by a sessions court. Although the High Court had temporarily suspended his conviction in June 2024, it required him to make sincere efforts toward an amicable settlement. However, citing repeated breaches of undertakings and inconsistent assurances regarding payments, the court earlier rejected his pleas for additional time and directed him to surrender.
On February 5, Yadav surrendered at Tihar Jail after the court declined further relief. His interim bail plea, filed on the grounds of attending a family wedding, was adjourned until February 16. During proceedings, the court remarked that he had landed in jail for failing to honour his commitments despite earlier deposits, including two demand drafts of ₹75 lakh in October 2025 and an offer to deposit ₹25 lakh under a fresh payment proposal.
On Monday, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma granted interim suspension of sentence after noting that Yadav had deposited ₹1.5 crore in the complainant company’s bank account. The court clarified that the relief would remain valid until the next hearing date. It also directed Yadav to surrender his passport and not leave the country without prior permission. He has been instructed to remain present, either physically or virtually, at the next hearing scheduled for March 18.
The revision petitions filed by Yadav and his wife challenge the 2019 sessions court decision upholding their conviction in the cheque bounce cases. The magisterial court had originally imposed the six-month jail sentence in 2018.
Amid the legal crisis, members of the film industry reportedly extended support to the actor. Celebrities including Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, David Dhawan, Sonu Sood, Guru Randhawa, and Mika Singh are said to have offered financial assistance. His wife, Radha Yadav, acknowledged the support received during this challenging period.
On the professional front, Yadav was last seen in Baby John and Interrogation and is next expected to appear in Bhoot Bangla, a horror-comedy featuring Akshay Kumar, slated for release on April 10.
