New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has ordered actor Rajpal Yadav to surrender to jail officials by February 4 following his conviction in a series of cheque-bounce cases. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma stated that Yadav’s actions deserve condemnation, noting that he consistently breached promises made to the court regarding the reimbursement of funds to the complainant, M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd.
The judge directed that the funds already deposited with the Registrar General of the High Court be released to the complainant. The court noted that Yadav was required to pay ₹1.35 crore in each of the seven cases against him. According to the ruling, while two demand drafts (DDs) totaling ₹75 lakh were submitted to the Registrar General in October 2025, a balance of ₹9 crore remains outstanding.
“Despite repeatedly giving assurances and seeking the indulgence of this court, petitioner no. 1 has failed to comply with the orders passed from time to time… This Court finds no justification to continue the indulgence granted to the petitioner earlier, especially since he has admitted liability and undertaken to repay the amount,” the court ruling from February 2 stated.
The court further directed, “In the interest of justice, petitioner no. 1 is directed to surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent by 04.02.2026, at 4:00 PM, to serve the sentence awarded to him by the learned trial court. This limited indulgence is granted at the request of the senior counsel, who submitted that the petitioner is presently engaged in professional work in Mumbai.”
The actor’s attorney “fairly conceded” that Rajpal Yadav had been granted many opportunities and “considerable leniency” on several occasions. Despite these chances, the actor failed to adhere to the court’s directives or the terms of the settlement.
This ruling follows revision petitions filed by Rajpal Yadav and his wife against a 2019 sessions court decision, which had affirmed their April 2018 conviction by a local magisterial court. While the High Court had temporarily halted his conviction in June 2024—pending “sincere and genuine measures” to settle the matter—the court found he had failed to follow through.
Yadav was originally handed a six-month prison sentence by the magistrate’s court. His legal team had previously argued that the funds were part of a legitimate deal to finance a film that ultimately failed at the box office, leading to significant financial losses.