New Delhi, October 6: The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on actor Rajpal Yadav for failing to honour an undertaking to deposit money towards dues owed to a private firm in a long-running series of cheque-bounce cases.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana had on September 15 granted Yadav a final two-week opportunity to present a concrete proposal for clearing the outstanding amount. The court had also directed him to deposit ₹2 crore with the Supreme Court Registry.
However, when the matter came up on Monday, the bench noted that the deadline had expired and no payment had been made.
During the hearing, Yadav’s counsel reportedly argued that the complainant was not financially weak.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi strongly objected to the submission, observing that the complainant might be wealthier than Yadav but had suffered financially due to the alleged non-payment.
The judge remarked, “They may be richer than you, but they are poor to the extent you have swindled them,” and warned Yadav, “Your place is in jail.”
The bench directed that the required payment be made by Tuesday and listed the matter for Wednesday as the first case.
Court Questions ₹50 Lakh Demand Draft
During Monday’s hearing, Yadav’s counsel produced a copy of a ₹50 lakh demand draft, stating that it was being processed by the bank.
The bench, however, questioned whether the document was genuine and said it could not verify its status.
The complainant’s lawyer accused Yadav of repeatedly failing to comply with court directions. Senior advocate Ajit Sinha alleged that the actor had shown disregard for the authority of the court.
The bench also observed that it could dismiss Yadav’s appeal but was reluctant to do so as such a step could adversely affect the complainant’s chances of recovering the money.
Dispute Dating Back To Film Financing
The case relates to financial assistance of around ₹5 crore allegedly provided to Yadav in 2010 for a film project.
According to the complainant, M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd, Yadav subsequently issued seven cheques of approximately ₹1.05 crore each in 2013 as part of a settlement, but the cheques were dishonoured.
The company further claimed that an agreement reached in 2012 required Yadav, his wife Radha Rajpal Yadav, and their company to repay around ₹11 crore, including interest.
The Supreme Court had earlier granted Yadav relief from surrendering, subject to certain payment conditions.
Delhi High Court Had Upheld Conviction
The matter stems from multiple cheque-bounce cases in which the Delhi High Court in July upheld Yadav’s conviction and sentenced him to three months’ imprisonment.
The High Court had also directed him to pay more than ₹1 crore to the complainant in each of seven cases, while allowing approximately ₹2 crore already paid by him to be adjusted.
The court had kept the sentence in abeyance for two months to allow Yadav to approach the appellate court.
The High Court also imposed fines of around ₹5.5 lakh in each case on Yadav’s wife, Radha Rajpal Yadav, with a provision for three months of simple imprisonment in case of default.
The convictions originated from a magistrate court order in 2018, which sentenced Yadav to six months’ imprisonment. His sentence was later reduced to three months by the sessions court.
The Supreme Court is now monitoring Yadav’s compliance with its directions regarding payment of the outstanding dues.
