Actor Rajpal Yadav has received temporary relief from the Supreme Court in seven cheque bounce cases linked to Murli Projects Private Limited. The top court has given him two weeks to comply with a payment condition while hearing his challenge against the Delhi High Court's order.
The Supreme Court has directed Yadav to deposit a demand draft of Rs 2 crore within two weeks. The court made it clear that this would be his final opportunity to comply with the direction.
As part of the conditions, the actor will also have to surrender his passport.
Yadav and his wife, Radha Yadav, had approached the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court's order in the seven cases. The top court has issued notice on their plea and granted Yadav the two-week window to make the Rs 2 crore deposit.
Delhi HC had sentenced actor to jail
The Delhi High Court had earlier convicted Rajpal Yadav in the seven cheque bounce cases and sentenced him to three months in prison in each case.
The proceedings are linked to a financial dispute with Murli Projects Private Limited, arising from a loan taken by Yadav for a film project.
Loan for directorial debut led to dispute
The dispute dates back to 2010, when Yadav took a loan of around Rs 5 crore from a Delhi-based company to produce and direct his first film, 'Ata Pata Laapata'.
The comedy film did not perform well at the box office and failed to generate enough revenue to cover its costs. Yadav subsequently faced difficulties in repaying the loan.
The unpaid amount continued to increase over the years due to interest and other charges. According to the details of the case, the amount, which began at around Rs 5 crore, eventually rose to nearly Rs 9 crore.
The repayment dispute ultimately resulted in the cheque bounce cases against the actor.
The Supreme Court's latest order gives Yadav two weeks to deposit the Rs 2 crore demand draft, while requiring him to surrender his passport. The court has also made clear that no further opportunity will be granted to comply with the payment direction.