The High Court awarded Rajpal a three-month jail term in each of the seven cheque bounce cases against him. All the sentences will run concurrently. Justice Swarnakanta Sharma directed officials to send the actor to jail.
Justice Swarnakanta Sharma observed that Rajpal Yadav’s conduct was questionable. The court said he had been given several opportunities to honour his commitment and repay the company’s dues, but failed to do so. It added that he would now have to spend the next three months in prison.
The court also remarked that the law is not a script that an actor can rewrite according to his own wishes.
Court orders Rajpal to pay ₹7.35 crore
The court has given Rajpal Yadav two months to comply with the order or challenge this sentence in the Supreme Court.
The High Court granted Rajpal Yadav two months either to comply with the order or challenge the sentence before the Supreme Court.
The court directed him to pay ₹1.05 crore to the complainant in each of the seven cases, taking the total compensation to ₹7.35 crore. It also clarified that nearly ₹2 crore already paid by the actor would be adjusted against the total amount.
The case dates back to 2010, when Rajpal Yadav borrowed ₹5 crore to produce one of his films. After failing to repay the outstanding amount and the cheques issued by him bounced, the dispute turned into a prolonged legal battle.
Rajpal had said, ‘I am ready to go to jail five times, but will not pay a single rupee’
Advocate Avneesh Sikka, appearing for Murli Projects Private Limited in the Delhi High Court, said all 21 petitions filed by Rajpal Yadav had been dismissed and the Sessions Court’s verdict had been upheld.
Rajpal’s wife, Radha Rajpal Yadav, was also an accused in the case. The High Court ordered her to pay a fine of ₹5 lakh in each case.
During the hearing, Rajpal’s counsel sought probation for the actor, but the court rejected the request, observing that he had repeatedly failed to honour assurances given to the court. The court also noted that during the final hearing, Rajpal had said, “I am ready to go to jail five times, but I will not pay a single rupee.”
During the last hearing in April, Rajpal spoke to the media outside the court.
Loan taken for film Ata Pata Lapata
Rajpal Yadav had decided to make his directorial debut with the film Ata Pata Lapata. To finance the project, he borrowed ₹5 crore from Murli Projects Private Limited.
The film flopped at the box office, leaving Rajpal unable to repay the loan on time. The unpaid dues eventually led to the long-running legal dispute.
Rajpal Yadav is a resident of Shahjahanpur in UP. He had borrowed money for the film ‘Ata Pata Lapata’.
Got six months sentence in 2018
In April 2018, a magistrate’s court convicted Rajpal Yadav and his wife Radha in the cheque bounce case and sentenced the actor to six months in jail.
In early 2019, the Sessions Court also upheld the conviction.
Rajpal was released on February 17 after spending 12 days in Tihar Jail. His wife Radha Yadav is also an accused in the case.
Rajpal has been to jail in a cheque bounce case
In June 2024, the Delhi High Court stayed Rajpal’s sentence temporarily and directed him to clear nearly ₹9 crore in outstanding dues. However, he failed to deposit the amount within the stipulated time.
On February 2 this year, the High Court ordered him to surrender. Rajpal surrendered before Tihar Jail authorities on February 5, 2026.
After spending 12 days in jail, he was granted interim bail by the Delhi High Court on February 17.
Rajpal Yadav had met the children in Shahjahanpur. These children had sent around 10 thousand rupees for help.
Shahjahanpur children sent piggy bank money, Rajpal also came to meet them
Several film personalities had come forward to support Rajpal Yadav financially. Actor Sonu Sood was among the first to offer help, while former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son Tej Pratap Yadav announced financial assistance of ₹11 lakh.
Children from Gurukul Seva Trust in Shahjahanpur also broke open their piggy banks and collected around ₹10,000 to help the actor. About a month ago, when Rajpal visited Shahjahanpur, he met those children to thank them personally.
