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New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday extended the suspension of actor Rajpal Yadav’s sentence till April 1 in connection with multiple cheque bounce cases, observing that he has already made a “substantial” payment to the complainant.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said the court would hear and decide Yadav’s appeal against the trial court’s decision on merits and clarified that the actor would not be sent to jail for now. “I am hearing you on the main petition. I am not sending him to jail right now. He has made a substantial payment. I will decide the matter,” the judge said during the hearing.
Court Notes Payment of ₹4.25 Crore.
The court noted that Yadav had already deposited ₹4.25 crore in connection with the dispute and had also brought a demand draft of ₹25 lakh to the court during the hearing.
Responding to the complainant’s counsel, who sought vacation of the suspension of sentence, the court said there was no immediate reason to send the actor to jail.
“He is not running away… He has given you money. If I decide on the next date that the money has to come to you, it will come to you,” the court observed. The matter relates to cases filed by Murali Projects Pvt Ltd under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which makes dishonour of cheques a punishable offence.
Conviction in 2018
The case stems from a 2018 judgment of a magisterial court, which convicted Yadav and sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment for cheque dishonour. The conviction was upheld by a sessions court in 2019, after which Yadav and his wife filed revision petitions before the High Court.
In June 2024, the High Court suspended the sentence temporarily, directing the actor to take “sincere and genuine measures” to settle with the complainant.
Earlier Court Observations
In an earlier order on February 2, the High Court had directed Yadav to surrender to the jail authorities, observing that his conduct warranted criticism, as he repeatedly failed to honour his undertakings to repay the dues.
The court had noted that Yadav was required to pay ₹1.35 crore in each of the seven cases filed against him and had ordered that the amount deposited with the Registrar General be released to the complainant.
According to the court records, ₹9 crore remained payable at the time of the order.
Next Hearing on April 1
On February 16, the High Court had suspended Yadav’s sentence till March 18 after he deposited ₹1.5 crore in the bank account of the complainant. On Wednesday, the court extended the suspension of the sentence till April 1, when it will continue hearing the actor’s appeal.
