Rajpal Yadav's lawyer breaks silence on jail after Delhi HC upholds conviction

Actor Rajpal Yadav has suffered a legal setback after the Delhi High Court upheld his conviction in a long running cheque bounce case. While the court directed that the actor be sent back to jail and described his conduct as "dubious", his lawyer has clarified that Yadav will not be taken into custody immediately.

Speaking to the media outside the court, Rajpal Yadav's advocate, Bhaskar Upadhyay, said the legal team has been granted time to study the judgment before taking the next course of action.

Explaining the financial aspect of the order, Upadhyay said, "The judge has stated that the funds previously deposited with the court have effectively been treated as nil. The amount we have deposited, approximately Rs 2.5 crore (around Rs 2 to Rs 2.25 crore), will now be adjusted against the earlier outstanding amount of about Rs 11 to Rs 11.5 crore. We will first study the judgment. Only after examining the order sheet will we be able to clearly explain the court's reasoning."

When asked whether Rajpal Yadav would be sent to jail immediately, the lawyer responded, "We had sought time from the court, and the judge has granted us a two month extension. We will review the judgment, and for the next two months, we are not going anywhere."

The case dates back to 2010 when Rajpal Yadav borrowed Rs 5 crore from M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd for his directorial venture Ata Pata Laapata. After the film failed at the box office, he was unable to repay the loan, resulting in legal proceedings.

In April 2018, a magistrate court convicted Rajpal Yadav and his wife, Radha, in the cheque bounce case and sentenced the actor to six months in prison. The conviction was later upheld by a sessions court, following which Yadav approached the Delhi High Court.

In June 2024, the High Court temporarily stayed his sentence and directed him to make sincere efforts to clear the outstanding dues. However, on February 2 this year, the court ordered him to surrender, observing that he had repeatedly failed to honour his repayment commitments.

Before surrendering, Rajpal Yadav spoke to Bollywood Hungama and said, "Sir, kya karoon? Mere paas paise nahin hain. Aur koi upaay nahin dikhta (Sir, what to do? I don't have the money to pay back. Can't see another way out)." He was subsequently lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail.