Actor Rajpal Yadav has secured temporary relief from surrendering in his cheque-bounce case after the Supreme Court directed him to deposit Rs 5 crore with its Registry. The apex court issued a conditional notice on his plea challenging the Delhi High Court’s judgment upholding his conviction and three-month imprisonment in seven cases.
SC directs Rajpal Yadav to deposit Rs 5 crore
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed actor Rajpal Yadav to deposit Rs 5 crore with its Registry by Wednesday as a condition for exempting him from surrendering to serve his sentence in a cheque-bounce case involving film producer-financier Murli Projects Pvt Ltd.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana took the special leave petitions (SLPs) on board after they were mentioned before the apex court and issued a conditional notice, returnable on September 15. “On the oral mentioning, the special leave petitions are taken on board,” the CJI Kant-led Bench said in its order.
The Supreme Court further directed that the petitioners would be exempted from surrendering, subject to depositing Rs 5 crore with the Registry of the top court by Wednesday.
The Court issued a conditional notice on Yadav’s plea challenging the Delhi High Court’s July 10 judgment, which upheld his conviction and three-month imprisonment in seven cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The matter will next be heard on September 15.
The SLPs have been filed by Rajpal Yadav and his wife, challenging the Delhi High Court’s judgment, which upheld their conviction in seven cheque-dishonour cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
The Delhi High Court had on July 10 upheld Rajpal Yadav’s conviction while reducing his sentence from six months to three months’ simple imprisonment in each of the seven cases. It had also reduced the fine from Rs 1.60 crore to Rs 1.05 crore in each case, with all substantive sentences directed to run concurrently.
About Rajpal Yadav’s cheque-bounce case
Back in 2010, Rajpal Yadav reportedly borrowed Rs 5 crore from Delhi-based Murli Projects Pvt Ltd to fund his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata. The film failed at the box office, and as a result, the loan remained unpaid. The dispute took an ugly turn after several cheques bounced, and he was accused of non-payment of dues.
He even served a jail term; however, he was later released on bail. Rajpal Yadav has declined to settle his 2012 cheque-bounce case and will argue it in court, his lawyer revealed.
Apart from this, Yadav also found himself in trouble over a case involving his ancestral property. The Central Bank of India has issued an attachment notice on Rajpal Yadav’s ancestral properties in Uttar Pradesh over an unpaid Rs 16.61 crore loan. The bank may auction the mortgaged properties on September 9 if the dues remain unpaid.
Rajpal Yadav’s upcoming movies
Despite the ongoing legal issues, Rajpal Yadav has a packed slate of projects. He was recently seen in Bhooth Bangla and Welcome To The Jungle. He also has Haiwaan, in which he plays a small but impactful role. He has two web series in his kitty as well.