New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned actor Rajpal Yadav after he failed to deposit ₹2 crore by the deadline set in connection with a long-running cheque-bounce dispute. The court gave him until Tuesday to make the payment and scheduled the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.
The proceedings concern a financial dispute involving Mumbai-based company M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd. The company has been seeking recovery of money that it says remains unpaid.
Court Objects to Missed Payment Deadline
A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, had earlier directed Yadav to deposit ₹2 crore with the court registry and submit a concrete plan for settling the outstanding amount.
That deadline expired on Monday without the required deposit being completed.
During the hearing, Yadav's lawyer referred to the financial position of the complainant. The court strongly objected to the argument and expressed concern over the actor's failure to comply with its earlier directions.
The bench subsequently directed that the required payment be made by Tuesday.
₹50 Lakh Demand Draft Presented
Yadav's legal team produced a demand draft for ₹50 lakh and told the court that it was being processed by the bank.
The bench questioned whether the document could be verified and said that its authenticity had not yet been established.
The complainant's lawyer, senior advocate Ajit Sinha, argued that Yadav had repeatedly failed to comply with court orders and maintained that the primary concern was recovery of the money.
What Is the Rajpal Yadav Cheque-Bounce Case?
The dispute dates back to financial assistance of approximately ₹5 crore that Yadav allegedly received from Murali Projects in 2010 in connection with a film project.
According to the complainant, Yadav subsequently issued seven cheques worth ₹1.05 crore each as part of a repayment arrangement. The cheques were allegedly dishonoured.
A later agreement signed in 2012 reportedly involved Yadav, his wife Radha and their company agreeing to repay approximately ₹11 crore, including interest.
Earlier Conviction and Prison Sentence
The dispute has passed through several levels of the judicial system.
In July, the Delhi High Court upheld Yadav's conviction in multiple cheque-bounce cases and imposed a three-month prison sentence. The court also directed payments of more than ₹1 crore to the complainant in each of the seven cases.
The High Court noted that approximately ₹2 crore already paid by Yadav would be adjusted against the outstanding amount.
The case originated with a magistrate's conviction in 2018, while a sessions court subsequently upheld that decision in 2019. The magistrate had initially imposed a six-month sentence, which was later reduced to three months.
Supreme Court Hearing Could Determine Next Step
The Supreme Court had previously allowed Yadav additional time to pursue a settlement proposal and temporarily protected him from having to surrender.
His lawyers told the court that he had already spent around four-and-a-half months in prison in connection with the matter and had received financial assistance from people in the entertainment industry.
With the latest payment deadline extended only until Tuesday, the next hearing is expected to clarify whether Yadav complies with the court's direction and how the proceedings will move forward.
The case remains focused on the recovery of the outstanding money and compliance with judicial orders.
