Rajpal Yadav, who is facing a six-month jail term over non-payment of a Rs 9 crore debt, wasgranted bailby the Delhi High Court on February 16. The actor had surrendered before Tihar Jail authorities on February 5 in connection with a 2018 cheque bounce case. He took this step after the court refused to extend the repayment deadline. Now, in a major relief for the Phir Hera Pheri actor, the court has granted him interim bail, which means he will remain out of jail for now till March 18.
On Monday, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court suspended Rajpal Yadav's sentence on an interim basis. This means his jail term has been paused temporarily. The court granted this relief till March 18, when the matter will be heard again. One key reason for the relief was that Rajpal has now paid Rs 1.5 crore to the complainant company.
Rajpal Yadav Out On Bail Till March 18
The court also noted that he had requested temporary suspension of his sentence because there is a wedding in his family. His niece's marriage is scheduled this month, and he sought permission to attend it.
While granting relief, the judge directed him to remain present in court on the next date of hearing, either physically or through video conferencing. Earlier, the same court had taken a strict view of his conduct. It had said that his repeated failure to honour payment promises 'deserved to be deprecated'.
The court had earlier ordered him to surrender immediately, stating that it cannot create special circumstances for anyone just because of their background or profession. For now, Rajpal Yadav remains out of jail, but the final decision will depend on the next hearing on March 18.
Rajpal Yadav was sent to prison because he failed to repay a loan of around Rs 9 crore. The loan was taken in 2010 to produce a film that did not perform well. Over time, he issued several cheques to repay the amount, but those cheques bounced.
The complainant company, M/s Murli Projects Pvt Ltd, then filed cases against him under the Negotiable Instruments Act. The court gave him many chances to repay the money and even allowed settlements in parts.
However, he failed to meet important payment deadlines. The Delhi High Court said that it could not keep granting extensions again and again. The judge also made it clear that being a public figure does not mean special treatment. After the court refused more time, Rajpal surrendered and began serving his sentence in Tihar Jail.
Before his surrender, Rajpal expressed that he did not have funds to clear the outstanding dues and struggled to arrange the money. The court stressed that everyone, regardless of profession or fame, must comply with the law and cannot get special treatment.
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