Explained: Why is Rajpal Yadav in Tihar Jail?
Rajpal Yadav has surrendered to Tihar Jail to serve a six-month sentence in a long-running Rs.5 crore cheque bounce case after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him more time.
Actor Rajpal Yadav is once again in legal trouble in a long-running cheque bounce case linked to his 2012 film Ata Pata Laapata.
The issue started in 2010 when Yadav borrowed around ?5 crore from Delhi-based Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to produce the film. However, the movie did not perform well at the box office, and he was unable to repay the loan. To return the money, he and his wife issued several cheques to the company, but all of them bounced. This led to seven separate cases being filed against them under the cheque bounce law.
In 2018, a Magistrate’s Court found Yadav and his wife guilty and sentenced them to six months in jail. The Sessions Court later upheld the sentence. In 2024, the Delhi High Court paused his jail term and gave him time to clear his dues, which had grown to nearly ?9 crore due to interest and penalties.
Over the next one and a half years, the High Court gave him several chances and extended deadlines many times. Although he paid ?75 lakh in October 2025, he failed to meet other payment deadlines. The court observed that he had not honoured his promises and was not taking the matter seriously.
In February 2026, the Delhi High Court refused to grant any further relief. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma ordered him to surrender and rejected his request for a one-week extension, stating that enough time had already been given and no special treatment could be provided because he is a celebrity.
On 5th February 2026, Rajpal Yadav surrendered at Tihar Jail and began serving his six-month sentence. The money deposited in court will now be released to the company he owes.
