The Delhi High Court suspended the sentence of Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav in cheque dishonour cases till 18 March after he deposited Rs 1.5 crore to the complainant company. The actor had been lodged in Tihar Jail since 5 February.
The Delhi High Court on February 16, 2026 granted interim bail to Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav in connection with cheque bounce cases arising from a loan he had taken in 2010 for his directorial debut. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma suspended the actor’s sentence till 18 March after noting that he had deposited Rs 1.5 crore in the bank account of the complainant company, M/s Murli Projects Pvt Ltd.
Yadav, who had been lodged in Tihar Jail since 5 February, had sought interim suspension of his sentence on the ground that a family wedding was scheduled for 19 February. The court granted him time till 3 PM to deposit the amount, and after the complainant’s counsel confirmed receipt of the funds, the bail was granted subject to a Rs 1 lakh bail bond with one surety. The court also directed Yadav to surrender his passport and not leave the country without permission.
The case traces back to 2010 when Yadav borrowed Rs 5 crore from the Delhi-based company to finance his film Ata Pata Laapata. The film, which released in 2012, failed commercially, and the actor found himself unable to repay the loan. Seven cheques issued by Yadav towards repayment were dishonoured, leading to criminal proceedings under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.
In April 2018, a magisterial court convicted Yadav and his wife Radha under the cheque dishonour provision and sentenced them to six months of simple imprisonment. A sessions court upheld the conviction in 2019, following which Yadav approached the High Court.
In June 2024, the court granted temporary relief by suspending his sentence and directing him to demonstrate sincere and genuine measures to clear the outstanding dues, which had by then swelled to nearly Rs 9 crore. The court noted that he was required to pay Rs 1.35 crore in each of the seven cases against him.
However, the respite proved short-lived. On 2 February 2026, Justice Sharma directed Yadav to surrender, observing that the actor had repeatedly breached his undertakings to repay the amount. The court had deprecated his conduct, noting that despite multiple extensions and continued suspension of sentence solely on the ground of a proposed settlement, he had failed to honour his admitted financial liability.
The court observed that indulgence shown on several occasions at the specific request of the petitioners had been consistently misused to seek adjournments without any meaningful compliance.
Before surrendering at Tihar Jail on 5 February, Yadav had expressed his helplessness, stating that he did not have the money and saw no other way out.
Following his imprisonment, several members of the film fraternity extended support to the actor. Sonu Sood was among the first to publicly offer assistance, signing him for his next film and providing an undisclosed signing amount, while urging others in the industry to do the same.
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees also appealed to its members to support him. Yadav’s wife said that many from the industry had come forward to help, though she did not disclose names at this stage.
The court has now directed Yadav to remain present, either physically or through video conferencing, on the next date of hearing on 18 March, by which time he is expected to clear the remaining dues to avoid serving his sentence.
Case title: Sh. Rajpal Naurang Yadav & Anr v. M/s Murli Projects Pvt Ltd & Anr. CRL.M.C. 4870/2024 (Del.)
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