Rajpal Yadav, the well-known actor, received interim relief from the Delhi High Court on Monday as he faces trial in a cheque bounce case amounting to Rs 9 crore. After spending over a week in Delhi’s Tihar Jail following his surrender, he is now set to be released later today.
The Delhi High Court has granted Rajpal interim bail until March 18, 2026. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, presiding over the case, stipulated that Rajpal must deposit a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh and provide one surety.
During the hearing, the court required the actor to deposit Rs 1.5 crore by 3 PM for his interim bail to be approved. Once the lawyer representing the complainant, M/S Murli Project, confirmed that the actor had deposited the required amount into the company’s bank accounts to cover the bounced cheque, the court granted bail.
What led to this situation? Back in 2010, Rajpal Yadav borrowed Rs 5 crore from Murali Projects Pvt Ltd for his directorial debut, “Ata Pata Laapata.” Unfortunately, the film did poorly at the box office, leaving the loan unpaid. Subsequently, seven cheques issued by Yadav bounced, leading to legal action. In April 2018, a Magisterial Court convicted both Rajpal and his wife, Radha, sentencing him to six months in simple imprisonment. This conviction was upheld by a Sessions Court in early 2019, prompting Yadav to appeal to the Delhi High Court.
In 2024, the court urged the actor to demonstrate genuine efforts to repay the substantial debt. However, after multiple breaches of repayment promises, the court ordered Rajpal to surrender in February 2026. Prior to his surrender, he expressed his despair in an interview with Bollywood Hungama, stating, “Sir, kya karoon? Mere paas paise nahin hain. Aur koi upaay nahin dikhta (Sir, what can I do? I have no money to pay back. I see no other way out).”