the actor Rajpal Yadav has been in the news after being embroiled in a major legal controversy after being sent to Tihar Jail in connection with a 9 million euro check bounce case. The actor was out on bail but the case was still in court. According to the latest update, Delhi High Court on April 2 he reserved his judgment after several attempts to reach a settlement failed, despite persistent judicial intervention. At the hearing, the actor also made a touching gesture in front of the judge.The matter was heard by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, according to ANI, who expressed dismay over the actor’s consistent attitude towards payment of dues. The judge said: “I’m not getting my answers. The pledge said something else, and now you’re saying something else.’Representing the plaintiff, the defender Avneet Singh Sikka argued that the actor had already accepted his conviction and now he could not avoid responsibility. He pointed out that a review petition filed in 2024 came with an unexplained delay of 1894 days and lacked sufficient justification for approval. He also said serving a sentence does not remove financial responsibility. Sikka added that despite repeated assurances, the dues remained unpaid, leaving the complainant with no option but to proceed under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.During the proceedings, the court made several efforts to facilitate an agreement between the parties. At one point, the complainant agreed to accept 6 million euros as a full and final settlement.However, in an emotional response, Rajpal declined the offer, saying that he was already facing huge financial difficulties. Appearing virtually, he told the judge that he had sold five properties and paid a considerable amount. He stated, “I’m not emotional…send him to jail five more times.”In a bid to resolve the impasse, the court also suggested a structured payment plan of ₹ 3 crore within a stipulated period, clarifying that it was only a judicial proposal and not a binding agreement. This effort also failed to achieve consensus. The court also criticized the conduct of the proceedings, warning: “Never think that the judge is weak if the judge is nice to you”, while stating that valuable judicial time was being wasted.As no agreement was reached and the differences persisted, the court finally reserved its judgment.The case traces its origins to 2010, when Rajpal Yadav borrowed ₹5 crore from Delhi-based Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to finance his directorial venture Ata Pata Laapata (2012). The film’s poor performance at the box office resulted in heavy losses, eventually leading to a financial crisis. In 2018, a magistrate’s court convicted the actor under the Negotiable Instruments Act for dishonoring the cheque, and sentenced him to six months in prison—a sentence that was later upheld by a sessions court in 2019. Over time, the amount increased to nearly ₹9 crore.Rajpal was granted interim bail and released from jail on February 16. The Delhi High Court extended the interim bail till March 18, with conditions set by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, including ₹1 lakh bond and one surety. Earlier, the court had directed him to deposit ₹1.5 crore by 3 pm for interim relief. The bail was granted after the counsel for the complainant, representing M/S Murli Project, confirmed that the amount was deposited against the bounced check in the company’s bank account.
