Supreme Court’s Cautionary Remark to Rajpal Yadav
The Supreme Court of India has expressed skepticism regarding Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav’s past behavior in connection with multiple cheque bounce cases. The Court made these remarks on Tuesday during the hearing of Rajpal Naurang Yadav & Anr v. M/S Murli Projects Pvt Ltd. Despite its reservations, the Bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, granted Yadav an additional two weeks to deposit ₹5 crore with the court registry, a condition set to avoid imprisonment.
Initial Court Orders and Extension Request
Previously, the Supreme Court had exempted Yadav from surrendering, provided he deposited the amount by September 9. However, Yadav’s counsel, Senior Advocate PS Patwalia, requested an extension, citing that Yadav has already served approximately four and a half months in jail. The Court granted this extension, stating, “He is an actor in Bollywood. We hope he is not acting here also. His past conduct does not inspire confidence. As a last opportunity, two weeks’ time is granted to honor the order.” The exemption from surrendering is now extended until October 5, with the condition that Yadav submits his passport to the Court.
Background of the Case
The legal tussle stems from a ₹5 crore transaction between Yadav and a private firm, Murli Projects, for a film project that was not completed as agreed. The parties had entered into four agreements, with the third involving eight security cheques from Yadav to Murli Projects. This agreement was later replaced by a fourth “consent agreement” dated April 21, 2013, which allegedly invalidated the earlier cheques. However, Murli Projects presented seven of the original cheques, leading to criminal complaints against Yadav and his wife after they were dishonored.
Legal Proceedings and Developments
In May 2024, a sessions court convicted Yadav, sentencing him to six months in jail. The Delhi High Court later suspended this sentence following assurances from Yadav’s counsel of a settlement, even referring the matter to the Delhi High Court Mediation Centre. However, Yadav failed to fulfill his payment assurances, prompting the High Court to order his surrender in February 2026 for non-compliance with its orders. Yadav surrendered on February 5 but was granted interim suspension after depositing ₹1.5 crore with the complainant. Despite this, his failure to deposit the remaining amount led to a three-month imprisonment sentence, which is now under challenge in the Supreme Court.
Legal Arguments
Yadav’s plea contends that the subsequent consent agreement invalidated the earlier cheques, making the complaints under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act unsustainable. Advocate Saurabh Trivedi represents Rajpal Yadav in this matter.
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[Read Live Coverage] Supreme Court to hear actor Rajpal Yadav’s plea against conviction and three-month jail term in cheque-bounce cases. The Court had earlier protected him from surrender subject to deposit of ₹5 crore with the Registry. @rajpalofficial #SupremeCourt
