Rajpal Yadav surrenders to begin jail term in cheque-bounce case

NEW DELHI: Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav, known for his comic roles in films such as “Phir Hera Pheri”, surrendered at Delhi’s Tihar Jail this week to begin serving a sentence tied to a long-running cheque-bounce case, multiple Indian news outlets reported.

The case stems from a dispute dating back to 2010, when Yadav and his wife took a loan to finance their directorial venture “Ata Pata Laapata”. A series of issued cheques meant to repay part of the debt bounced, leading to legal action under India’s Negotiable Instruments Act. The outstanding liability, including interest and penalties, has swelled to about INR9 crore (roughly $1.1m).

A lower court convicted Yadav and his wife for having cheques dishonoured in 2018 and handed down a six-month jail term, upheld on appeal in 2019. Despite numerous delays and partial payments over the years, Yadav repeatedly failed to meet deadlines set by the courts, prompting the Delhi High Court to revoke a suspension of his sentence and direct him to surrender by February 4.

Yadav walked into Tihar Jail last week after the high court rejected his final plea for more time to arrange funds, with the bench saying repeated breaches of undertakings showed a lack of seriousness in settling the dues.

In emotional remarks before surrendering, the actor, who has worked in more than a hundred films, said he had no money left and felt alone in the crisis, adding there were “no friends” to turn to for help.

The case has drawn reactions from colleagues in the film fraternity. Actor Sonu Sood offered Yadav a role in one of his upcoming films with a small signing amount to support him financially, saying that such help was a matter of dignity, not charity.

Another actor, Gurmeet Choudhary, urged the industry to stand with Yadav during his difficult period.

Legal analysts say the case highlights the criminal consequences of cheque dishonour in India’s legal system, which treats such breaches as offences punishable by imprisonment if courts deem that undertakings to comply with payment orders have been violated.

Yadav’s surrender does not absolve him of the debt, and future legal steps could focus on settlements with the complainant company, industry watchers say.