Actor Rajpal Yadav was granted relief by the Delhi High Court on Monday as he was given interim bail in the ₹9 crore cheque bounce case. The actor, who was lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for over a week, is now expected to walk out of prison later today.
Rajpal Yadav granted bail
On Monday, the Delhi High Court granted interim bail to the actor till March 18. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma granted Rajpal interim bail, subject to his depositing ₹1 lakh as bail bond and furnishing one surety. Earlier in the hearing, the court had ordered Rajpal to deposit ₹1.5 crore by 3 PM for interim bail. After the lawyer of the complainant, M/S Murli Project, confirmed that the actor had deposited the amount in the company’s bank accounts against the bounced cheque amount, the bail was granted.
Rajpal will now stay out of prison till March 18, the next hearing, by which time he is expected to repay the remainder of the due amount in order to avoid his sentence.
What is the cheque bounce case?
Rajpal Yadav was sent to Tihar Jail over a decade-old case of non-payment of around ₹9 crore he had taken for his film. In 2010, the actor had borrowed ₹5 crore from Delhi-based Murali Projects Pvt Ltd for Ata Pata Laapata, his directorial debut. The film, released in 2012, bombed at the box office. After that, Rajpal found himself unable to repay the amount and a court case ensued.
In 2018, a Magisterial Court convicted him and his wife, Radha, under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. After seven cheques issued by Rajpal bounced, the actor was sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment. The following year, a Sessions Court upheld the conviction, leading to an appeal in the Delhi High Court.
In 2024, the court granted Rajpal relief by suspending his sentence. He was directed to demonstrate “sincere and genuine measures” to clear the outstanding dues. By now, the dues had swelled to ₹9 crore. On February 2, 2026, Delhi HC directed Rajpal to surrender after the actor said he did not have the money to repay the loan. The court observed that the actor repeatedly breached his undertakings to the court to repay the amount to the complainant.
Rajpal Yadav receives support from Bollywood
Following his surrender, Rajpal received widespread support from Bollywood. Actor Sonu Sood was the first to lend him support, signing him for his next film and giving him an undisclosed signing bonus, urging others in the industry to do the same. Rajpal’s wife said many others have helped, without disclosing names. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) also urged all its members to support Rajpal Yadav as several Bollywood stars, including Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn, reached out to his family.
