Rajpal Yadav bail hearing today: Will 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' actor get relief in Rs 9 crore cheque bounce case? Latest updates here

Rajpal Yadav, a noted Bollywood character actor and comedian, has been embroiled in legal and financial woes for several years. The case arises from multiple cheque dishonour matters related to unpaid dues of nearly ₹9 crore, stemming from loans and payments he allegedly failed to honour. The issue eventually reached the Delhi High Court, which recently declined his request for additional time to clear the dues and directed him to surrender before jail authorities.

The Delhi High Court is set to hear the bail petition of Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav in his long-running cheque bounce case as he continues to serve his term in the Tihar jail. The hearing comes at a time when the Delhi High Court denied his request for extra time to arrange repayment of dues in the case, prompting him to surrender earlier this month. The court is expected to rule on the actor’s fate in the afternoon. According to the actor's manager, Goldie, the family is hopeful about his release, according to a report in TOI. Yadav is known for movies such as "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi", "Waqt", "Phir Hera Pheri", "Partner", "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", "Hungama" and "Chup Chup Ke".

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What is Rajpal Yadav's case?

Rajpal Yadav in 2010 allegedly borrowed ₹5 crore from a Delhi businessman to fund his directorial project, Aata Pata Laapata. After the film failed to perform at the Box Office, interest and penalties increased the outstanding amount balance to around Rs 9 crore. Rajpal failed to return the money to the organisation, leading to a court case.

In 2018, a Magisterial Court convicted him and his wife, Radha, in April 2018 under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. When many checks Rajpal Yadav issued bounced, criminal charges were brought in.

The conviction was later upheld by a Sessions Court in early 2019, following which Rajpal Yadav approached the High Court in appeal. In June 2024, the court granted him temporary relief by suspending the sentence and directing him to show “sincere and genuine efforts” to clear the outstanding dues, which had risen to nearly ₹9 crore.

On February 2, the Delhi High Court ordered him to surrender after he consistently failed to meet deposit and settlement deadlines. On February 5, he surrendered in front of the authorities, commencing a six-month term for dishonored checks.

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Paise nahi hai mere pass, says Rajpal Yadav

Before surrendering himself to the authorities in the long-running cheque bounce case, Rajpal Yadav made an emotional statement and said, "Sir, kya karoon? Mere paas paise nahin hain. Aur koi upaay nahin dikhta… Sir, yahan hum sab akele hain. There are no friends. I have to deal with this crisis on my own (Sir, what should I do? I don’t have any money. I don’t see any other way… Sir, we are all alone here. There are no friends. I have to deal with this crisis on my own)."

Who all have helped Rajpal Yadav?

Many from the film industry, including actors Sonu Sood, Gurmeet Chaudhary and music composer Rao Inderjit Yadav, offered financial assistance to the family and urged others to do the same. Bollywood has come forward to support him. The actor's manager stated that actors like Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn and filmmaker David Dhawan shared that his son, Varun Dhawan, will contribute to his repayment.

Sonu Sood was among the first from the industry to come forward in Yadav's support. He said he was signing him up for a film and giving the signing amount as an advance. Yadav, an NSD graduate, has been a mainstay in many popular Bollywood comedies.

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Sood urged others to come forward as well. "A small signing amount, adjustable against future work, is not charity, it’s dignity. When one of our own is going through a tough phase... This is how we show we are more than just an industry," he said.

Rajpal Yadav's wife Radha Yadav on Wednesday said many in the film industry have come out in support of the actor, a day after he surrendered to Tihar jail authorities in connection with cheque-bounce cases. Asked about who all have reached out to them, Radha Yadav told PTI, "Everybody has stood by him. The industry has been supportive, a big thank you to everyone who is coming out to help."

(With PTI inputs)