Actor Rajpal Yadav has issued his first statement after being released from Tihar Jail till March 18 in the ₹9 crore cheque bounce case. The relief came from the Delhi High Court on Monday, days after the actor surrendered to the police over the unpaid debt. Rajpal spoke to reporters after being released, and thanked fans across the nation and people from Bollywood who supported him.
What Rajpal said
In the video which was shared by news agency ANI on their X account, Rajpal was seen addressing his arrest and sharing his gratitude. He was surrounded by lawyers and took time to add that he will be grateful for all the support for him. He said, “I will complete 30 years in Bollywood in Mumbai in 2027. People from all over the country, children, old and young, are with me… The way the entire country and the world, my Bollywood, has loved me, if there are any allegations against me, I am available to answer. Thank you, High Court…”
On Monday, the Delhi High Court suspended Rajpal’s sentence in the cheque bounce cases till March 18 and permitted him to be released from jail. It has also been reported that following his release from jail, Rajpal will hold a press conference to address the queries about the case, and other things related to it.
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 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.
About the case
The trouble began in 2010 when Rajpal took a loan of ₹5 crore from Delhi-based Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to fund his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata (2012). The film’s failure at the box office sparked a repayment crisis, leading to a legal battle that saw a Magisterial Court convict him and his wife, Radha, in April 2018 under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. After seven cheques issued to the complainant bounced, the actor was sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment, a conviction that was later upheld by a Sessions Court in early 2019. By October 2025, although Yadav deposited ₹75 lakh through two demand drafts, the court noted that the bulk of the liability remained unpaid.
This month Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma ordered the actor to surrender, noting that leniency cannot be extended endlessly for anyone, regardless of their celebrity status. On February 4, 2026, the court rejected a last-minute “mercy plea” for a one-week extension to arrange funds, with the judge observing that Rajpal had failed to honour nearly 20 different undertakings in the past.
