The Delhi High Court upholding Rajpal Yadav’s conviction in check bounce case reduced his jail sentence to three months from six months. A bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma declined Yadav’s plea. Yadav had sought the benefit of probation under the Probation of Offenders Act. The court observed that the actor was not entitled to such relief in view of his conduct during the proceedings.
The court maintained that Yadav had given several undertakings assuring payment of the amount involved in the case but failed to do so despite several opportunities. The apex court however, kept the operation of its verdict on hold for 2 months, to enable the actor to appeal before a higher court.
As per sources, the court ordered Yadav to pay Rs 1.05 crore in each case to the complainant. He has also been asked to pay Rs 1.04 crore to the complainant, along with Rs 25,000 to be paid to the State. The Court has also asked his wife Radha Yadav to pay Rs 5.51 crore to the complainant in each case. However, the Court clarified that the amount that has already been paid by the actor, of Rs 2.25 crore, will be adjusted in the final amount.
The order also directed him to pay the fine imposed by the trial court, saying that failure to pay the fine would entail six months’ imprisonment. The agency quoted Justice Sharma saying, “I am not getting my answers. The undertaking said something else and now you are saying something else,” as the Court questioned the inconsistencies in the submissions made by the actor. The Court added, “Never think the judge weak if the judge is nice to you.”
Appearing for Murli projects, Advocate Avinash Sikka said, “All the revision petitions filed by Rajpal Yadav have been dismissed, and the order of the trial court has been upheld. The High Court has directed him to undergo three months’ imprisonment, with the sentences running concurrently, and has also directed payment of the amount as ordered. The Court has refused to grant probation after taking into account his conduct before the Court and repeated violations of the undertakings given by him.”
The dispute dates back to 2010 when Rajpal Yadav borrowed Rs 5 crore from Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to finance his film Ata Pata Laapata. The film however, failed to do well at the box office, leading to losses and a prolonged financial dispute. In 2018, a trial court convicted him under cheque dishonour provisions, sentencing him to six months in jail, a ruling later upheld in 2019. The liability has since escalated to nearly Rs 9 crore.