- Rajpal Yadav sentenced to three months imprisonment in seven Rs 9-crore debt cases
- He must pay Rs 1.05 crore in each case plus Rs 25,000 to the State
- His wife Radha Yadav ordered to pay Rs 5,51,380 in each case to complainant
The Delhi High Court today sentenced actor Rajpal Yadav to three months' imprisonment in each of seven cases related to a Rs 9-crore debt. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma pronounced the order and directed the actor to pay Rs 1.05 crore in each case to the complainant.
In addition, Rs 1,04,75,000 is to be paid to the complainant, along with Rs 25,000 to be paid to the State. The Court has also directed his wife, Radha Yadav, to pay Rs 5,51,380 to the complainant in each case.
The Court clarified that the amount already paid by the actor, Rs 2.25 crore, will be adjusted against the final amount.
Background
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma had reserved judgment in the matter on April 2 after a final round of settlement efforts failed despite sustained intervention by the High Court. During the hearing, the actor made an emotional appeal while opposing the settlement proposal.
The HC expressed dissatisfaction over the shifting stance taken by Yadav regarding repayment of the outstanding dues. At one stage, it observed, “I am not getting my answers. The undertaking said something else and now you are saying something else,” indicating concern over inconsistencies in the submissions made on behalf of the actor.
Appearing for the complainant company, advocate Avneet Singh Sikka argued that Yadav had already accepted his conviction and could not now avoid liability. He submitted that the revision petition filed in 2024 was accompanied by an unexplained delay of 1,894 days and did not disclose sufficient grounds for condonation.
Sikka further contended that completion of the sentence did not extinguish the financial liability arising from the dishonoured cheques.
During the hearing, the HC made repeated efforts to facilitate an amicable settlement. On the Court's suggestion, the complainant agreed to accept Rs 6 crore as a full and final settlement. However, Yadav, appearing virtually on the last date of hearing, declined the proposal and told the Court that he had already suffered heavy financial losses. He stated that he had been forced to sell property and had already made substantial payments.
The Court also suggested a structured payment of Rs 3 crore within a fixed timeline, clarifying that it was only a judicial suggestion and not a concluded settlement. Despite these efforts, the parties failed to reach an agreement.
Actor Rajpal Yadav has paid Rs 2.5 crore in the Rs 9-crore cheque bounce-case in February, according to his lawyer Bhaskar Upadhyay.
The actor landed in financial and legal trouble when the unpaid dues escalated to around Rs 9 crore following the failure of his 2012 film Ata Pata Laapata, which marked his directorial debut too.
On February 2, the court noted that Rajpal Yadav was required to make payment of Rs 1.35 crore in each of the seven cases against him and directed that the amount already deposited with the Registrar General of the high court be released in favour of the complainant.
In October 2025, two demand drafts of Rs 75 lakh were deposited with the Registrar General and an amount of Rs 9 crore remained payable, the Delhi High Court noted in the order.
