Rajpal Yadav’s lawyer claims Rs 2.5 crore paid in cheque bounce case; Govind Namdev says Bollywood doesn’t support in ‘tough times’ | Bollywood News
After the Delhi High Court adjourned Rajpal Yadav’s bail plea to February 16 in the ongoing cheque bounce case, his lawyer Bhaskar told the media that the actor has already paid Rs 2.5 crore toward the disputed amount and remains willing to deposit more. He said the adjournment came as the opposing party had not responded to the bail application, and added that the court has sought clarity on how Yadav intends to fulfil his payment obligations moving forward.
Speaking to reporters outside the court, Yadav’s lawyer Bhaskar explained, “The opposing party did not reply to our bail plea, which is why we got an adjournment. We requested the court to meet Rajpal in jail and seek instructions from him. The court was adamant about his payment obligations. We want our case heard on the merits. We have filed our bail application on this basis and are expecting a reply by Monday.” He added that he had attempted to speak with Rajpal before the hearing but was unable to do so.
‘Rajpal never refused to repay’
According to Bhaskar, the dispute originates from a Rs 5 crore investment made by a financier in a film, an amount he insisted Rajpal had never declined to repay. “There was a consent decree of Rs 5 crore that was later put on execution. The other party to the case refused to receive the money at some point, as mentioned in the order sheet. They rejected the plea, as the matter lingered on, and sought his imprisonment. For the satisfaction of that decree, a punishment of three months’ imprisonment was imposed,” he said.
He further clarified, “Based on the consent decree, it was stated that the old agreements would not be revived. The ongoing punishment and case relate to those earlier agreements from 2012 because parallel proceedings were underway. We had placed this contention before the court initially. Now we will see what the court decides.”
‘Imprisonment should not be based solely on undertaking’
Bhaskar argued that imprisonment in such cases should not hinge purely on undertakings. “No one should be imprisoned solely on the basis of an undertaking. We told the court that if this is purely a financial matter, we would meet him in jail and take instructions. Today we tried to speak to him in jail, but that wasn’t possible. We will personally meet him to understand the court’s stand regarding the earlier undertaking. If we pay the money, then the matter won’t be argued on merit and it will be treated as a settlement.”
Rajpal Yadav has paid Rs 2.5 crore so far
“The original Rs 5 crore became Rs 11 crore. So far, we have paid Rs 2.5 crore in this case. Around Rs 1 crore had been deposited with the registry earlier, and we had also brought a cheque of Rs 25 lakh today. Whatever assistance we are receiving, we are ready to deposit it with the court. There is no major issue on that front. The only question now is what the court decides on Monday,” he said.
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Court questions repeated assurances
During Thursday’s hearing in Delhi High Court, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma noted that Yadav had repeatedly assured the court that he would clear his dues but failed to do so. The judge pointed out that on at least two dozen occasions, Yadav had undertaken to pay the complainant, yet the payment was never deposited.
The court remarked: “You did not go to jail because the Court passed an order. You have gone to jail because you have failed to comply with your own commitments to the Court. You were not giving the money because the Court asked you to; you were giving the money because you entered into a settlement.”
Govind Namdev reacts
Amid the ongoing legal developments, actor Govind Namdev’s comments on the situation have been circulating widely on social media.
In a chat with The Lallantop, he said, “When an incident like this happens in Bollywood, people don’t stand by you. This happens, and it will continue to happen. Even in the toughest times, no one comes forward to support you. Those who don’t have the values to help simply won’t help. Perhaps the atmosphere of this industry itself turns people that way. It is very unfortunate. As for what has happened with Rajpal, I am a witness to it, he got caught in a difficult phase unexpectedly. He is a very kind person. Now that he has accepted this, I believe his life ahead will be better.”
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The case so far
Rajpal Yadav’s legal troubles stem from a Rs 5 crore loan he took in 2010 to finance his directorial debut Ata Pata Laapata. After the film failed, the unpaid amount reportedly rose to nearly Rs 11 crore. In 2018, he and his wife Radha were convicted in cheque bounce cases and sentenced to six months in jail. While the Delhi High Court suspended his conviction in June 2024 to allow settlement efforts, it later refused to extend his surrender deadline this month, directing him to appear by February 4.
