Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav has been given a final two-week opportunity by the Supreme Court to deposit at least ₹2 crore with the Supreme Court Registry in connection with his ongoing financial dispute with a private complainant.
SC raps Rajpal Yadav
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said Yadav’s earlier conduct in the matter did not give the court much confidence. However, the court granted him two more weeks after his lawyer assured the bench that he would deposit at least ₹2 crore within the given time and provide a surety for the remaining amount.
During the hearing, CJI Surya Kant questioned whether Yadav could be trusted to follow through on the commitment, referring to his past conduct in the matter. The Chief Justice said, “Looking at his past conduct.. how can anybody trust him? He’s perfect in doing drama and acting in Bollywood, he’s doing same thing in Court also.”
The court has also continued the protection granted to Yadav against arrest until the next hearing, which is scheduled for October 5. However, it has directed the actor to surrender his passport.
About Rajpal Yadav’s case
Back in 2010, Rajpal Yadav had borrowed ₹5 crore from M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd for his directorial debut film, Ata Pata Laapata. However, the film turned out to be a box office flop. Rajpal’s failure to clear the dues, coupled with the accumulating interest, increased the outstanding amount to nearly ₹9 crore. This eventually led to a prolonged legal battle.
During a previous hearing, Yadav’s counsel informed the court that approximately ₹4.25 crore had already been paid to the complainant.
In 2018, a magistrate court convicted Rajpal and his wife, Radha, in the case and sentenced him to six months in jail. In 2019, the sessions court upheld the conviction, following which Yadav approached the Delhi High Court in appeal. In June 2024, the High Court temporarily suspended his sentence and directed him to take “sincere and genuine measures” to repay the nearly ₹9 crore dues.
In February, after failing to clear the dues, he surrendered and was sent to Tihar Jail. He was later granted interim bail on February 16 after depositing ₹1.5 crore, following confirmation from the complainant’s lawyer. The relief was extended, with the Delhi High Court stating that he would not be taken back into custody even after the earlier interim order was set aside. The actor also requested a 30-day extension to arrange the loan amount, but the Delhi High Court rejected his request and reserved its verdict.