Actor Rajpal Yadav surrendered to serve his sentence in Tihar Jail in connection with a 9-crore cheque bounce case and debts.

The trouble started for the comedian actor in 2010 when he had taken a loan of Rs. 5 crore from Delhi based company by the name of Murali Projects Pvt Ltd. He had taken the loan to fund his directorial debut Ata Pata Laapata in 2012 which failed at the box office which sparked off the legal battle due to the repayment crisis. The Magisterial Court had convicted Rajpal Yadav and his wife Radha in April 2018 under Section 138 of the Negotiable Act.

Before Rajpal Yadav surrendered and went in to Tihar Jail, he made an emotional confession admitting severe financial crunch due to which he wasn’t able to repay back the loan that he had borrowed from a company. His cheque bounced and he said he had no one to turn to for help.

Sonu Sood has offered a film to Rajpal Yadav

Actor Sonu Sood came forward soon after Rajpal Yadav was sent to the Jail over the 9-crore debt, took to social media offering every help to the actor in distress.

Sonu is said to have stepped forward to offer Rajpal a film along with a small signing amount. He stressed it is a gesture of professional support and not a charity but a commitment with his dignity. The signing amount was mainly to help him financially.

Sonu took to Twitter and Instagram stories offering help and assisting Yadav financially by offering him a signing amount for his upcoming film. He also appealed to the other members of the Bollywood film industry to come forward and stand by Rajpal Yadav as he is a part of the film industry and in his difficult times, he should not be alone and that the film industry should stand with solidarity.

Rajpal Yadav who is known to be a gifted actor has given his best years with his unforgettable work. Life has been unfair to him not because of his talent but because the timings at times can be brutal, said Sonu Sood. He urged the producers, directors, colleagues, actors to stand together to come together and let Rajpal Yadav know he is not alone. He further stated when one of our own is going through a tough phase, we have to show that we are more than just a film industry.

Rajpal Yadav after he had surrendered got emotional and said, he is helpless, Sir, what to do? I don’t have the money to pay back and have no means or a way out. ( Sir Kya Karoon ? Mere paas paise Nahin Hai, aur koi upaay nahin dikhta). The actor was even asked why he had not asked for help from his friends from the industry or Priyadarshan for help. Rajpal had replied he had no friends and that he has to deal alone with his crisis.

Rajpal Yadav’s sentence and Legal Issues

After his seven cheques issued were bounced, the actor was sentenced to six months simple imprisonment, a conviction that was later upheld in 2019 in the session court. Despite the revision petition, the actor’s legal troubles only intensified and by June 2024, the court had granted him temporary relief by suspending his sentence and instructing him to clear the outstanding dues which had mounted from 5 crore to 9 crore. However, owing to his financial constraints and severe debts the actor could not keep up to his word and missed the deadlines for the payment which were scheduled.

Although Yadav had managed to pay back only Rs. 75 Lakhs through two demand drafts, the court noted the bulk of the payment was still unpaid. The court ordered the actor to surrender and that regardless of his celebrity status, the court had rejected his mercy plea for one week extension to arrange the funds as he had in the past failed to honor his undertakings.

Rajpal had unfortunately surrendered to the Tihar Jail at 4 pm to serve his six months sentence.

Gurmeet Choudhary joins Sonu Sood

Gurmeet Choudhary was saddened and it broke his heart to see a senior talented actor, artist Rajpal Yadav go through such a painful phase in his life. He reminded Rajpal Yadav who has given the audience and the industry countless smiles, laughter and his unforgettable moments, one should remember he needs us today said the actor.

He said as a fellow actor and as a human being, he would step forward and join hands with Sonu Sood and also appealed to the producers, directors and the film fraternity to come together with compassion and humanity to find a solution together to get Rajpal Yadav out of this legal battle. He said as a family we do not abandon its own.

The veteran comedian has given us laughter for years and now it’s our turn to give him the care and dignity and the support that he needs at this hour of need. The Ramayan Actor further wrote, Sonu Sood is one to always get people together at the time of crisis.