Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav, who was recently released from Tihar Jail on Tuesday, has now opened up about the condition of the prisons. The actor was granted interim bail by the Delhi High Court in an ongoing cheque bounce case. The court has provided him temporary relief till March 18, allowing him to step out of jail.
Rajpal Yadav appeals for prison reforms
Soon after his release, the actor interacted with the media and used the moment to highlight the need for prison reform in India. During an interaction with PTI, Rajpal requested the authorities to modernise jail facilities and focus more on rehabilitation.
Yadav said there should be “designated smoking areas inside jails, similar to facilities at railway stations and airports”. He also stressed that prisons should function as reform centres where inmates should be given structured opportunities to change, though the law remained supreme for those unwilling to reform, he added. “It is often difficult to judge from the outside who is a hardened criminal and who made a one-time mistake,” he said.
“I have an appeal. In our country, we don’t know the difference between a prisoner and a respectable person. But I have noticed that jails need to be upgraded for today’s time,” he added.
The actor reflected on the condition of long-term prisoners, highlighting that many of them continue to remain behind bars for years after conviction. “There are prisoners who have already been convicted who don’t need to go to court and have been there for 10 years due to a mistake they made. Their behaviour and conduct have been observed over time,” he noted.
Drawing a metaphor from Amitabh Bachchan`s popular quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati, Rajpal said, “At least 10 per cent of them, like how we have lifelines on Kaun Banega Crorepati, these prisoners deserve lifelines. If 10 per cent of them are released and rehabilitated, they could be a strength for our country. And if they don’t change, the law spares nobody.”
About Rajpal Yadav`s prison sentence
Yadav, known for films such as Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Waqt, Phir Hera Pheri, Partner, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Hungama and Chup Chup Ke among others, was sent to jail last week after the high court rejected his plea seeking more time to repay the outstanding amount in a cheque-bouncing case. He is required to pay nearly Rs 9 crore.
The Delhi High Court on Monday suspended his sentence till March 18 in the cheque bounce cases and allowed his release from jail. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma passed the order after noting that Yadav had deposited Rs 1.5 crore in the bank account of the complainant, M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd.
After he surrendered to Tihar Jail authorities, actors Sonu Sood and Gurmeet Choudhary, along with music composer Rao Inderjit Yadav, offered financial assistance to his family and appealed to others to extend support.
(With inputs from PTI)