Rajpal Yadav's lawyer reacts to Supreme Court's two-week ultimatum in cheque bounce case, ‘doing drama’ jibe

Bhaskar Upadhyay, who represents Rajpal Yadav, spoke to the media and assured that the actor’s team will comply with the court’s orders and directions.

Actor Rajpal Yadav has been allowed a final two-week window by the Supreme Court to deposit at least ₹2 crore in connection with his ongoing financial dispute with a private complainant. But that did not come without some stern admonishment as the court took a jibe at the actor, saying he was ‘doing drama’ in court.

Rajpal Yadav's lawyer addresses cheque bounce case

Rajpal Yadav earned the Supreme Court's ire in a cheque bounce case.

Addressing the matter, advocate Bhaskar Upadhyay, who represents Rajpal Yadav, spoke to the media, calling the two-week window a ‘great relief’ to his client, and also assured that the actor’s team will comply with the court’s orders and directions.

Speaking with the press outside the court on Tuesday, Upadhyay said, “We welcome this order... The Court has graciously given us time to deposit this amount. Initially, it was ₹5 crores. Now the Court has reduced it to ₹2 crores. It's a great relief for us, and we will comply with the orders and directions of this Court.”

What did the Supreme Court say

On Tuesday, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said Rajpal Yadav’s earlier conduct in the matter did not give the court much confidence. 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 the same thing in Court also.”

Rajpal Yadav also continues to enjoy the court's protection against arrest until the next hearing, which is scheduled for October 5. However, he has been directed to surrender his passport.

What is the case against Rajpal Yadav?

In 2010, Rajpal Yadav took a loan of around ₹5 crore from a Delhi-based company, Murali Productions, to make his first film as a director, Ata Pata Laapata. The film did not perform well at the box office and failed to earn enough to cover its costs. Since then, the actor has expressed his inability to return the due amount. Over the years, the unpaid amount continued to increase due to interest and other charges and reportedly reached nearly ₹9 crore. The dispute later led to a cheque bounce case against the actor.

Rajpal Yadav was eventually arrested earlier this year, before his industry colleagues rallied around him, helping him repay some amount, which led to him being released from the prison.