Delhi High Court upheld Rajpal Yadav’s conviction, imposing a Rs 7.35 crore penalty in seven cheque dishonour cases.
New Delhi
The Delhi High Court on Friday upheld the conviction of actor Rajpal Yadav in a series of cheque dishonour cases, dismissing his petitions challenging the trial court’s verdict under the Negotiable Instruments Act. The court also imposed a total financial penalty of Rs 7.35 crore across seven separate cases while granting the actor two months to approach the Supreme Court against the ruling.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma delivered the judgment on a batch of criminal miscellaneous petitions and criminal revision petitions filed by Rajpal Yadav. The petitions challenged the trial court’s orders in multiple cheque bounce cases initiated by M/s Murli Projects Pvt. Ltd. and another complainant.
In the judgment, Justice Sharma described the actor’s conduct as dubious, observing that he had been provided with several opportunities to repay the outstanding amount but repeatedly failed to fulfil his commitments. The court noted that despite repeated chances, the payments were not made within the agreed timelines, leading to the continuation of legal proceedings.
The High Court imposed a fine of Rs 1.05 crore in each of the seven cases, taking the total penalty to Rs 7.35 crore. According to the court’s directions, Rs 1.04 crore from each case will be paid to the complainant, while Rs 25,000 in each matter will be deposited with the state. The order aims to ensure that the complainant receives compensation while also enforcing the legal consequences prescribed under the law.
While upholding the conviction, the High Court granted Rajpal Yadav two months to challenge the judgment before the Supreme Court. The court’s interim order suspending his sentence will remain relevant during this period, allowing the actor an opportunity to pursue further legal remedies.
During the proceedings, Rajpal Yadav’s counsel informed the High Court that the actor had already paid approximately Rs 4.25 crore to M/s Murli Projects Pvt. Ltd. The amount included a demand draft of Rs 25 lakh that was handed over before the court during the hearing.
Earlier, while considering the matter, Justice Sharma had observed that the actor had made substantial payments towards the outstanding liability. At that stage, the court had orally remarked that it was not inclined to send him back to jail immediately in view of the payments already made.
The High Court had also refused to vacate its earlier order granting interim suspension of Yadav’s sentence despite an application filed by the complainant seeking cancellation of the relief. The interim protection continued throughout the pendency of the proceedings until the final judgment was pronounced.
