New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on actor Rajpal Yadav for failing to honour his undertaking to deposit money towards dues owed to private firm M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd in a long-running series of cheque-bounce cases.
A scathing hearing
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana noted that Yadav had failed to comply with its September 15 order, which had granted him two weeks to come up with a concrete proposal to clear the outstanding dues and directed him to deposit money with the court registry. According to The New Indian Express and Deccan Herald, the September 15 order directed a Rs 2 crore deposit; The Telegraph reported the bench gave Yadav one more day to deposit Rs 5 crore.
Yadav's counsel produced a demand draft of Rs 50 lakh and said it was being processed by the bank. "Is this genuine or not? We don't know," the bench observed.
'This arrogance needs to be put in its right place'
When Yadav's counsel argued that the complainant firm was not poor, Justice Bagchi retorted: "They may be richer than you, but they are poor to the extent you have swindled them. This arrogance needs to be put in its right place. You should know when to open your mouth. Your place is in jail."
Senior advocate Ajit Sinha, appearing for the complainant, accused Yadav of repeatedly failing to comply with court directions, telling the bench: "He is a film actor. He is acting here also. He has no respect for the majesty of the institution."
One more day
The bench directed that the payment be made by Tuesday and listed the matter for hearing on Wednesday as the first case. It said it could dismiss Yadav's appeal but was reluctant to do so, since that could jeopardise the complainant's chances of recovering the money.
A long-running dispute
The case traces back to a Rs 5 crore amount received by Yadav and his wife from Murali Projects in connection with a film produced by the actor. After agreements and security cheques — seven of which were presented and dishonoured — criminal complaints followed. In May 2024, a sessions court convicted Yadav and sentenced him to six months' jail; the Delhi High Court later suspended the sentence. In February 2026, the High Court directed him to surrender for failing to comply with its orders — Yadav surrendered on February 5 and remained in jail until the court granted an interim suspension after he deposited Rs 1.5 crore with the complainant, according to Bar and Bench.
Sources:
The New Indian Express — 'Your place is in jail': SC pulls up Rajpal Yadav for failing to honour payment undertaking
Deccan Herald — 'Your place is in jail': SC slams Rajpal Yadav
The Telegraph — SC gives Rajpal Yadav one more day to deposit Rs 5 crore
A scathing hearing
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana noted that Yadav had failed to comply with its September 15 order, which had granted him two weeks to come up with a concrete proposal to clear the outstanding dues and directed him to deposit money with the court registry. According to The New Indian Express and Deccan Herald, the September 15 order directed a Rs 2 crore deposit; The Telegraph reported the bench gave Yadav one more day to deposit Rs 5 crore.
Yadav's counsel produced a demand draft of Rs 50 lakh and said it was being processed by the bank. "Is this genuine or not? We don't know," the bench observed.
'This arrogance needs to be put in its right place'
When Yadav's counsel argued that the complainant firm was not poor, Justice Bagchi retorted: "They may be richer than you, but they are poor to the extent you have swindled them. This arrogance needs to be put in its right place. You should know when to open your mouth. Your place is in jail."
Senior advocate Ajit Sinha, appearing for the complainant, accused Yadav of repeatedly failing to comply with court directions, telling the bench: "He is a film actor. He is acting here also. He has no respect for the majesty of the institution."
One more day
The bench directed that the payment be made by Tuesday and listed the matter for hearing on Wednesday as the first case. It said it could dismiss Yadav's appeal but was reluctant to do so, since that could jeopardise the complainant's chances of recovering the money.
A long-running dispute
The case traces back to a Rs 5 crore amount received by Yadav and his wife from Murali Projects in connection with a film produced by the actor. After agreements and security cheques — seven of which were presented and dishonoured — criminal complaints followed. In May 2024, a sessions court convicted Yadav and sentenced him to six months' jail; the Delhi High Court later suspended the sentence. In February 2026, the High Court directed him to surrender for failing to comply with its orders — Yadav surrendered on February 5 and remained in jail until the court granted an interim suspension after he deposited Rs 1.5 crore with the complainant, according to Bar and Bench.
Sources:
The New Indian Express — 'Your place is in jail': SC pulls up Rajpal Yadav for failing to honour payment undertaking
Deccan Herald — 'Your place is in jail': SC slams Rajpal Yadav
The Telegraph — SC gives Rajpal Yadav one more day to deposit Rs 5 crore
