Muhammad Abrar,Daily Dawn, Dawn TV Report
Mumbai: Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav, who makes the audience laugh with his unparalleled comedy and brilliant comic timing, is facing legal troubles these days.
According to Hindustan Times, a decade-old financial dispute has finally landed him in Tihar Jail.
The dispute began in 2010 when Rajpal Yadav took a loan of Rs 5 crore from Delhi-based company Murali Projects Private Limited to make his directorial debut, Ata Pata Lapata (2012). The film failed at the box office, as a result of which the loan could not be repaid, and the matter turned into a legal battle.
In April 2018, a magistrate’s court convicted the actor and his wife, Radha, under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act in a case of dishonourable cheques.
The court sentenced Rajpal Yadav to six months in prison for bouncing seven cheques given to the complainant, which was upheld by the sessions court in early 2019.
Suspension of sentence and breach of promise
The actor later filed a review petition in the Delhi High Court. In June 2024, the High Court temporarily suspended his sentence and directed him to take serious and sincere steps to pay the outstanding amount. By then, the amount owed had reached around Rs 9 crore.
However, over time, a series of breaches of promise came to light. In October 2025, although Rajpal Yadav deposited Rs 75 lakh through two demand drafts, the court noted that a large portion of the principal amount had not been paid yet. The promises to pay Rs 40 lakh in December 2025 and the remaining amount by early 2026 could not be fulfilled, and the court expressed serious concern over his lack of seriousness.
In early February 2026, Justice Sorna Kanta Sharma ordered the actor to surrender, saying that no person, no matter how famous, can be given unlimited leniency.
On February 4, 2026, the court also rejected Rajpal Yadav’s last mercy plea for a week’s respite.
The court remarked that the actor had violated about 20 different court orders in the past years. The judge made it clear that the law values obedience, not contempt of court orders, and that the actor showed very little respect for court orders.
Surrender in Tihar Jail
During his last appearance in court on February 5, 2026, Rajpal Yadav’s lawyer tried to present a fresh cheque of Rs 25 lakh and a new payment schedule, but the court refused to withdraw the surrender order. Justice Sharma said that the court is bound to strike a balance between compassion and discipline and special conditions cannot be created for a person from the film industry.
Finally, at 4 pm on the same day, Rajpal Yadav presented himself before the Tihar Jail authorities, where he will serve his six-month sentence. The High Court also ordered the release of the amount deposited with the Registrar General earlier to the complainant company.
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