Cinema VinesSupreme Court Judge Surya Kant has given Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav a final two‑week window to deposit a minimum of ₹2 crore with the Court Registry in a long‑running financial dispute with a private complainant. The bench, led by the Chief Justice, expressed little confidence in Yadav’s earlier conduct, yet granted the extension after the actor’s lawyer pledged the required amount and a surety for the balance.
Yadav, who had previously appeared before Tihar Jail authorities in February over a cheque‑bounce case, was told by CJI Surya Kant that his past behaviour made it difficult for the court to trust him. “Looking at his past conduct… how can anybody trust him? He’s perfect in doing drama and acting in Bollywood, he’s doing same thing in Court also,” the Chief Justice remarked during the hearing.
While the Court has kept the protection against arrest in place until the next hearing on October 5, it has ordered the actor to surrender his passport. The case stems from a 2010 loan of ₹5 crore that Yadav borrowed from M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to finance his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata, which failed at the box office. The unpaid dues, compounded by interest, now amount to nearly ₹9 crore.
Earlier court proceedings saw Yadav and his wife Radha convicted in 2018 and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, a decision upheld by the sessions court in 2019. Yadav appealed to the Delhi High Court, which in June 2024 temporarily suspended the sentence and directed him to take “sincere and genuine measures” to repay the debt. After failing to clear the amount, he surrendered to Tihar Jail in February, was granted interim bail on February 16 following a ₹1.5 crore deposit, and was later allowed to remain free even after the interim order was set aside.
Despite a 30‑day extension request to arrange the loan, the Delhi High Court rejected it and reserved its verdict. The Supreme Court’s latest ruling now forces Yadav to meet the ₹2 crore deadline or face potential arrest.
