Rajpal Yadav surrenders as Delhi High Court refuses relief in cheque bounce cases, sent to Tihar Jail

Rajpal Yadav had been convicted in a cheque-bounce case by a sessions court in 2019. The actor had sought more time to repay the money.

Actor Rajpal Yadav surrendered to the Tihar Jail authorities in Delhi on Thursday after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him any relief in his cheque-bounce cases. The actor had sought an extension of the deadline for his surrender. News agency PTI quoted a jail source saying, “He surrendered before the jail authorities at 4 pm on Thursday. Now the jail authorities will follow the standard operating procedure.”

Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav surrendered before the Tihar Jail authorities on Thursday. (PTI File)

Rajpal Yadav surrenders after court refuses to extend deadline

On Wednesday, the high court refused to extend the deadline set for Rajpal to surrender to the jail authorities. The actor's lawyer had told the court that his client had arranged ₹50 lakh and sought one more week to make the payment. On February 2, the actor had been directed to surrender by 4 pm on Wednesday. The court responded to the plea by refusing the extension. “This Court cannot be expected to show or create special circumstances for any person merely because such a person belongs to a particular background or industry. Leniency, though sometimes necessary, cannot be extended endlessly, especially when it is met with continued non-compliance,” said the court.

What is the case against Rajpal Yadav

The case involves a complaint filed by M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd. against the actor and his wife over several bounced cheques from them and failure to pay back what was due to them. In 2018, a magisterial court in Delhi had convicted Rajpal Yadav and his wife in cheque-bounce cases, sentencing the actor to six months' imprisonment. The conviction was upheld by a sessions court in 2019. The Yadavs challenged this in the Delhi High Court. In June 2024, the conviction was temporarily suspended after the high court urged the actor to adopt “sincere and genuine measures” to explore the possibility of reaching an amicable settlement with the opposite party.

However, on February 2, the high court directed Rajpal to surrender, observing that the actor repeatedly breached his undertakings to the court to repay the amount to the complainant.